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.

54. Chapter 54 - A Long Overdue Chat

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Chapter 54 is here, and I didn't finish second year... FUCK! I decided to lay some ground-work for third year instead, which I'm happy to reveal will be a completely new story. No Azkaban escapee. It will have... other problems...

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 54 – A Long Overdue Chat

Ronald Weasley's POV

Friday 10th April, 1993 (Library – Study Group)

"What happened to you, Ron?" Colin Creevey asked, every eye looking at Ron's face scratches and the bruise on his neck. Daphne tensed on his left, while Millie kept her poker-face. The two girls had taken either side of Ron immediately, no doubt to wall off anyone who wanted to sit next to him.

"I was attacked by a savage cat" Ron lied, and he felt Daphne tap her foot against his under the table.

"A cat?" Hermione cocked an eyebrow. "Cat's usually don't attack people Ron, you must've done something to anger it." Well, technically I did. Lavender and Parvati rolled their eyes at Hermione, the bookworm was being extra snobby today.

"How dare you accuse me of such a thing?" Ron grinned, and most people around the tables chuckled. Hermione, Daphne, and Millie being the exception.

They had to put two tables together to make everyone fit, something that pleased Ron greatly. He had managed to bring together someone from each house, which everyone else seemed to have differing opinions on. Millie and Daphne were of course in support of Ron, mostly because they knew that Ron was just trying to make allies. Justin had brought Susan Bones, Hannah Abbot, and Ernest Macmillan with him. Padma Patil had brought Terry Boot and Michael Corner with her. Lavender and Parvati hadn't brought anyone with them, which was a shame. Hermione had dragged Harry and Neville with her. While Ron had brought Daphne and Millie with him, his other friends weren't so keen on interacting with the other houses. Daphne was here mostly because she wanted to keep her eyes on Ron and his stress, while Millie was actively playing the role of bodyguard.

"So, what does everyone want to study?" Ron asked. "Colin mate, you can join me if you want. I'll help you with your first year stuff." This should win me some favor with the Gryffindors, and even the Hufflepuffs.

"Really?!" Colin exclaimed, and everyone shushed him. "I mean, yeah that'd be great Ron." Ron smiled in a friendly manner, especially after he noticed Lavender, Parvati, and Padma smiling in an approving way. The Hufflepuffs, who were all huddled together, whispered something to each other. Ron felt Daphne tap his foot again, and he shot her a quick glance to see her smirking ever so slightly.

"I want to work on Potions, and Harry and Neville will be working with me" Hermione said.

"I'll join you as well" Padma piped in, and Hermione nodded firmly. Why is she so serious today? I don't think that I've seen her smile even once today.

"We're doing Herbology" Justin spoke for the Hufflepuffs, Terry Boot and Michael Corner from Ravenclaw decided to join them. This left behind Ron, Daphne, Millicent, Lavender, and Parvati. Lavender and Parvati were just looking at Ron expectantly, and he figured that they wanted to join his group.

"I'm doing Transfiguration" Ron smiled in a friendly manner. "If you want to work on that, or need any help with any other subject, I'll be right here. Colin, what are you going to work on?"

"I have a Charms Essay due on Tuesday" Colin replied with an eager smile. The mousy boy had a habit of shooting Harry looks after everything that he said, something that Harry was simply tolerating by ignoring it.

"We'll do Transfiguration too" Lavender piped in, and Parvati nodded. Ron saw Hermione glower at the two girls, and then she shot Ron a scathing look. A look that she immediately fixed when she saw him looking at her. What the fuck was that?

"Let's split up then, just so that it's easier to interact with our group members" Ron suggested, and everyone but Hermione nodded. Ron decided to ignore her behavior, he'd try and figure out what was bothering her later. Right now he had to impress the new members so that they'd become regular members. They all got into their groups, something that took a lot of coordination because certain things had to be taken into account. Millie, much to Ron's surprise, gave her seat to Colin and moved to sit beside Daphne. Daphne, unsurprisingly, didn't move an inch from Ron's side. Parvati and Lavender sat across from Ron with friendly smiles, smiles that he happily returned.

"What's your essay on, Colin?" Ron asked as they all got their books out.

"Oh, we're supposed to write a one foot parchment essay on the benefits of the Softening Charm" Colin replied as he took out his copy of "The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1".

"I remember that essay" Ron chuckled. "You should do the work, but if you need any help at all, just ask."

"Thanks" the mousy boy replied with a wide smile. Please ask for help, I need to show my 'altruism'.

"Ron, are you working on the 'Animals into Water Goblets' spell?" Lavender asked sweetly, and Ron nodded. "That's great, Parvati and I can't really make any sense out of it. Can you help us?" Well, of course you can't make any sense out of it. We haven't tried performing that Spell in class yet.

"We can all work on that together" Millie suggested calmly. "I'd rather not hurt Misty in any way."

"Is Misty your school pet?" Parvati asked.

"Yes, she is an Asian Semi-Longhair" Millie told them proudly, her jaw jutting forward a bit. "She's a crossbreed between Burmese and Long-Haired cats, and she is absolutely gorgeous."

"Wow, I didn't think that you were a cat person" Lavender smiled. "I have a British Semi-Longhair named Toby. And he's so adorable." That's fortunate, Millie and Lavender are both cat lovers. The two girls started discussing their cats in hushed whispers, which sort of excluded Parvati a bit. Ron decided to fix that because although this was about making allies, Ron didn't like the slightly worried look on the brown girl's face as her friend struck up her own conversation.

"Parvati, why don't we get started with what you know already?" Ron asked politely, and she nodded.

"Wait, can you already perform the Spell?" Parvati asked suddenly, and Ron nodded. Images of Helios' fury flashed in Ron's mind, and he shuddered. He is not going to be happy next week when I transfigure him again. "Wow, how do you always know this stuff?" Percy's personal notes.

"I read ahead, and try anything that catches my eye" Ron replied, and then he looked to Daphne. "Daph, where are you with this?"

"Haven't read up on it yet" Daphne replied coldly, and Ron understood that she was in her 'Ice-Queen' persona again. "I was planning to wait for your personal lessons again." Personal lessons?

"Personal lessons?" Parvati asked. Wow! Is she seriously making things up to show off how close we are? I mean, I help her in class sure. But that's it, there are no special one-on-one lessons. I show all of my friends how to fix up any mistakes that they make.

"Ron is very friendly in that regard" Daphne replied. "He enjoys helping others, it's quite a noble trait." Ron was slightly confused by that, but then he realized that she was actually helping him by building him up. Ron felt a pang of guilt for thinking badly of her, and so he shot her a grateful smile. When did I become so… pessimistic?

"Wow, that's really nice of you Ron" Parvati smiled widely. "I can see why my sister likes you so much." Padma shot her a glare from across the table, and Parvati giggled softly. "Well, here's what I know. I know that I'm supposed to tap my wand on my owl three times, and then say Varo Verto."

"That's good" Ron nodded. "But the incantation is Vera Verto." Parvati nodded at that. "And after you tap your owl, make sure that you point the tip of your wand at your owl and then say the incantation."

"What do we picture in our mind?" Daphne asked, shooting a quick look at Millie who was just talking about her cat with Brown.

"The goblet is key, because that's your goal" Ron replied. "We have to picture the weight of the goblet, its dimensions, any pattern that we might want on it, and we need to make sure that it's made of glass. I think about all of that while I'm tapping Helios with my wand, and then picture 'my goblet' as I say the incantation." Parvati was writing down his instructions, while Daphne was just picturing something in her head. "I'm guessing that none of us brought our pets?" Mine's probably on his way back from Romania with Charlie's reply.

"Madam Pince wouldn't like that very much" Parvati giggled, and Ron smirked.

"I guess not" Ron chuckled. "She already hates me as is."

"Because you keep sneaking food into her library" Daphne gave him a deadpan look, and Ron blinked. "She told me that herself."

"That's fair, I guess" Ron shrugged with a smile. "Speaking of food, anyone want some Flavored Beans?" Ron asked as he pulled out a box from his school bag.

"Merlin, Ron that's very naughty of you" Parvati chuckled. "And I'd love some."

"Me too" Colin piped in as his head shot up from his parchment.

"Just keep the box under the table" Daphne instructed. "And I'd like the green ones, please."

---

Thirty Minutes Later

"Come here, you little… fuck" Ron groaned as he reached up for a copy of 'Untransfiguration for Beginners', it was barely out of his reach. He was getting the book in order to help his group, and himself, better understand how to reverse the process of Animal Transfiguration when one messes it up rather badly. Luckily, he hadn't done that yet. But if he was going to transfigure Helios again, he wanted to make sure that he didn't kill his beloved Eagle-Owl. "You little shite, who put you up there? Hagrid?" An idea came to his mind, and he smiled gleefully. He pointed his gloved palm at the book, and then he drew in a deep breath. "Wingardium Leviosa" Ron chanted in a hushed whisper. The book shook slightly as Ron felt a certain weight in-between his fingers, it was an odd feeling, and Ron had figured that it was just his Magic being channeled through his hand.

"Damn…" Ron sighed as he put his palm down, the book had moved about but it didn't levitate. It's easier with the pin. I need to keep practicing.

"Hey, Ron" came Neville's voice from behind him, and Ron jerked a bit from fright. Did he see me try Wandless Magic?

"Fucking hell" Ron exhaled as he put his gloved hand over his heart, and then he shot Neville a frown. Neville just smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you" Neville whispered, and then he looked at the book that Ron was trying to reach. "Need help?"

"No offence, but you're kind of shorter than me" Ron replied.

"True, but there's a library ladder right over there" Neville pointed to the far corner of the bookshelves. Well, shite.

"Oh…" Ron flushed a bit. "I didn't see it before." Ron then began making his way towards it, and Neville followed him. "Do you need it too?"

"Um… Not really" Neville smiled sheepishly again, something that made Ron raise an eyebrow. Then this isn't a chance meeting, is it? He wants something from me.

"What can I do for you, Neville?" Ron asked as he grabbed the ladder and began pushing it towards the book that he wanted, the wheels attached to the ladder squeaking annoyingly.

"I just observed that you were getting along with Lavender and Parvati" Neville replied a little meekly, and Ron blinked at him.

"I guess" Ron said slowly. "But we are just talking about Transfiguration, and about Lavender's cat. Did you know that Toby hates tuna?" Ron asked in a teasing way, and Neville chuckled.

"Everyone in Gryffindor Tower knows that" Neville smiled. "Lavender loves Toby, and she makes sure that everyone knows it. The only animal that she loves more is her rabbit, but she wasn't allowed to bring that to Hogwarts because it's just a baby."

"Oh, you mean Binky?" Ron grinned. "I know all about Binky too." Neville stifled a laugh, and Ron found himself smiling genuinely.

"Look, mate…" Neville stopped laughing suddenly and adorned a serious face. "About everything…" Ron rolled his eyes and gave Neville a firm pat on his arm, making Neville flinch.

"It's fine, Neville" Ron told him. "We all made mistakes, we had an ugly fight, and then we all apologized. Can't we just leave it at that?"

"It isn't sitting right with me to just leave it" Neville sighed as Ron climbed the ladder. "I… I was the one who… convinced Harry and Hermione to… I was behind their doubts about you." Ron looked down at Neville at that, a confused look on his face.

"What do you mean?" Ron asked slowly, his curiosity getting the better of him. Neville shuffled his feet, a guilty look crossing his face. Ron grabbed his book, and he climbed down and faced Neville. "Neville, what do you mean that you were behind it?"

"I told them to doubt you" Neville replied meekly, and Ron just stared at him. "I've always… doubted you. And with the attacks happening this year, I was convinced that you were the Heir."

"Why me?" Ron asked flatly. "Why specifically me?" Neville's face contorted a little, and he averted his gaze.

"I was… I was just being shallow…" Neville muttered, and Ron barely heard him. "I was being jealous…"

"Jealous?" Ron asked in a hushed whisper, and Neville nodded. "Of what?"

"Of you" Neville pushed out, his gaze elsewhere and a blush creeping onto his face. "I was scared that you would… That you would take Harry and Hermione away from me. That they'd choose you over me." Ron was stunned by Neville's words, partially because he couldn't believe that Neville could admit that so openly.

"Mate…" Ron sighed, not knowing what to even say. I don't know if he's incredibly brave, or just stupid. Why would he admit a weakness like that to me? But a big part of Ron sympathized with Neville immediately, Ron had always been jealous of his siblings. Even his Ginny. Ron knew how disgusting that feeling was, and what it could do to one's mind.

"At the time of the attacks, everything seemed to make sense in my head" Neville went on, his voice strained. "But now… I know that it made sense because I wanted it to. I wanted it to be you. I wanted you to be the culprit so that Harry and Hermione wouldn't be your friends anymore…" Ron shot quick looks around at that, he didn't want anyone else to hear Neville's confession and hold it over him.

"Why are you telling me this?" Ron asked gently. "Mate, I'd never take them from you. I can't. I'm in Slytherin, and you're their best friend."

"I know that" Neville looked at his feet. "I want to properly apologize to you, and to explain my actions. I'm the Heir of the Longbottom Family, and my Gran offered you our Eternal Friendship for saving my life during first year. I broke her word, and I need to fix it." Wow, I didn't know that Neville thought like this. It's rather… Pure-Blood of him. "I am sorry for betraying our friendship, and I hope you understand why I did it now" Neville apologized formally. "I don't expect forgiveness, or even sympathy. I am sorry." Merlin, what do I say to that? Where is Daphne when I need her? She's the formal one out of us two.

"I understand, and I forgive you" Ron simply spoke the truth. "I understand jealousy, and how… How unbearable it is…" Neville looked up at that, a confused look on his face.

"You understand jealousy?" Neville asked.

"Yeah, I do" Ron admitted softly.

"But… You're… you" Neville stammered.

"Exactly" Ron smiled, and Neville just blinked in confusion. "Look mate, I understand you better now. And I do sympathize with you, believe me. And I accept your apology. Friends?" Ron asked as he extended his gloved hand, and Neville shook it firmly.

"Friends" Neville repeated, still slightly confused as to how Ron could be jealous of anyone. He was seemingly perfect in every way, so it didn't really make any sense for him to be jealous. And who would he be jealous of?

"Hey, you want to play Chess sometime?" Ron asked, deciding to be better friends with Neville. In the future I saw, he was completely different. He was… impressive. And he clearly had the respect of his peers. He'll prove useful to me if I ever need someone from Gryffindor backing me.

"You're a professional Chess player though" Neville chuckled, and Ron smiled at being called a professional. I guess I am, aren't I? Thank you, Lord Greengrass.

"I'll take it easy on you" Ron grinned, and Neville chuckled again.

"Sure, that'd be great" Neville agreed.

"Let's head back?" Ron asked, he had no doubt that Daphne and Millie would be getting impatient.

"Before we do" Neville suddenly smiled apologetically. "I think I ought to tell you that Hermione is kind of upset with you."

"What?" Ron asked, and then he remembered the looks she was giving him. "Is that why she's been shooting me scathing looks?"

"Sorry about that" Neville sighed. "She doesn't like Brown and Patil, and she isn't happy that they're here. She says that they aren't here to study, and that they just want your attention." Ron remembered her chocolates, and his conversation with Tracey. Does she still see me that way? It's been ages since then. Or has it? Damn, it's been a long fucking year.

"They've actually been alright" Ron admitted. "They laugh a lot, but they aren't holding us back in any way."

"I'll let Hermione know that you said that" Neville smiled, and they both began making their way back. But they both stopped when they saw Dumbledore himself talking to Harry and Hermione. What is he doing here? "It's Dumbledore…" Neville stated. Oh good, you have eyes then.

"I can see that" Ron responded. "What is he doing here?"

"Talking to Harry" Neville replied, and Ron gave him a deadpan look. "Um… We can just go and find out." So much for being prepared. Ron and Neville walked back to their groups, and Dumbledore beamed at them.

"Hello, Ronald and Neville" Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling brightly. Dumbledore's eyes fell to Ron's face scratches, but the old wizard just ignored them.

"Headmaster, how are you this evening?" Ron asked with a polite smile. What are the odds that he's just here? And right when we're having our study group?

"Fantastic" Dumbledore replied. "It always brings a happy tear to my eye to see such a diverse group working together. I simply had to drop by and see it for myself." Wait, what? If he had to come and see it, then how did he know that it was happening? "But now that I've seen it, I will no longer interrupt."

"Please, Sir" Hermione piped up. "You are not interrupting anything, please stay if you want to." Two 'pleases', really? Dumbledore smiled at Hermione, and then he looked to Ron.

"It is your school, Headmaster" Ron told him, though he didn't know why he felt annoyed by Dumbledore's presence. Sometimes, he just does things that make me second guess him. And him showing up here already knowing that this was happening is just… too convenient. Is he watching me? No… No, I'm just being paranoid again. "Though we would get more done if you weren't here to distract us." Dumbledore chuckled merrily at that, but everyone else was wide-eyed at Ron's boldness/rudeness. Ron then picked up his box of Flavored Beans and presented it to Dumbledore, something that shocked everyone even more. "Please, have one."

"Ah, I never could resist these" Dumbledore smiled widely, his eyes dancing in merriment. Dumbledore then reached into the box, and he took out a yellow bean. He quickly popped it into his mouth, and his lips pursed tightly. "Lemon… Sour Lemon."

"Care to try your luck again?" Ron grinned.

"One more couldn't hurt" Dumbledore said as he pulled out a brown one, which he promptly put into his mouth. "Ah yes… Fresh Soil…" Ha, enjoy that. "I think I've had my fill of these for today. Make sure you keep them hidden, Ronald. Madam Pince has already alerted me of your… habits."

"I will do that" Ron agreed, and Dumbledore nodded with a smile and left. Ron watched the old man walk away, his brightly colored robes an eyesore in the otherwise bland library. Ron made his way back to his seat, and that's when he noticed that everyone was staring at him.

"You were so rude to him, Ronald" Hermione scowled deeply. "That's the Headmaster of Hogwarts, you can't speak to him like that."

"Give it a rest, Hermione" Lavender rolled her eyes, something that turned Hermione red with anger. "Professor Dumbledore didn't mind at all, he actually spoke to Ron like a friend would." Harry shifted in his seat, and Ron remembered from his vision that Harry was unhappy with Dumbledore's interest in Ron. He can't be unhappy already, can he? The Harry I saw was older, and around fifth year.

"Are you two friends?" Parvati asked quickly, and Ron looked to her. "We've all noticed that he asks you to stay behind after classes sometimes. And he tends to favor you too." Daphne tensed at that, and she tapped Ron's foot again. She wants me to lie? Of course, Dumbledore asked me to stay behind to discuss my Mind-Healing.

"We get along, that's all" Ron shrugged. Change the topic right now. "I got the book that will help us better understand undoing a botched Transfiguration, so let's get back to work." People around the table looked a bit put off, but they didn't argue.

"Actually, can you please help me really quickly?" Colin piped in, and Ron smiled at the mousy boy.

"Daph, can you please get started with everyone else?" Ron asked as he handed her the book, which she took with an expressionless face.

"Sure" Daphne replied, and Ron leaned closer to Colin.

"Can you see if I missed any benefits of the Softening Charm?" Colin asked, a hopeful glint in his eyes. Eyes that once again darted towards Harry. This kid is obsessed with Harry, isn't he? Ron read through Colin's work, and he was surprisingly impressed. Colin, despite being a Muggle-Born, possessed a great understanding of the Charm. And he didn't have Percy's complicated notes helping him either.

"This is good work, Colin" Ron said truthfully, and Colin beamed. "But there is one more benefit that you can add. The Softening Charm is often used in wizard homes when there are young children about. It is used to make sharp table corners, and things like stairs, soft and rubbery in order to avoid injury."

"Oh" Colin nodded slowly. "Thanks Ron, I can fit that in and make my essay longer than asked."

"Good man" Ron smiled and patted Colin's back, something that made the tiny boy jerk forward. Eh, he's fine. Look at that wide smile, and look at the smiles that I'm getting from everyone else. This is working wonderfully.

---

Severus Snape's POV

Sunday 12th April, 1993 (Dumbledore's Office – After Dinner)

"Don't you think that you are being a little paranoid, Severus?" Albus chuckled, his eyes twinkling in a condescending way. Snape had no doubt that the old man didn't intend it, but it often felt like he did.

"That boy is up to something, and the only one who can't see that is you" Snape replied harshly, a slight sneer on his face. "First it was Headmistress of Beauxbatons, and now this little study group that keeps growing? Not to mention his friendship with Potter and his lapdogs…"

"Severus" Albus scolded, his twinkling eyes dwindling a bit. "Do not speak of the students in such a manner, they are just children."

"Fine…" Snape fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Regardless of how I speak of them, it makes no sense for that boy to stay friends with Potter. Not after how things went down this year. And yet, he has re-integrated himself in their lives. I have never seen any student act like that, and I'm sure that neither have you. What kind of thirteen year old behaves like this?"

"I've seen one" Albus rubbed his chin, but he didn't go on. Why am I not surprised? Sometimes I wonder who has more secrets, Albus or the Dark Lord.

"He is up to something, and we need to find out what it is" Snape suggested. "What good does it do a student of Hogwarts to befriend the Headmistress of Beauxbatons? And after what she did to him? How does a child turn that into an opportunity to make an alliance? I don't know about you, but when I was his age, my concerns were my studies and other childish nonsense."

"My biggest concern was the way that my hair looked. But I suppose Ronald does not need to worry about that, he has a haircut that suits him" Dumbledore chuckled, and Snape gave him a deadpan look. Why did I even come here?

"You're not taking this seriously, are you?" Snape sneered, his temper flaring. But he quickly controlled it with Occlumency. "Ever since your chicken took a liking to that boy, you have found every reason to excuse his behavior."

"Chicken?" Dumbledore chuckled heartily, while Fawkes flapped his wings and glared at Severus. "Perhaps you are right, Severus." You don't say? "But I do not believe that Ronald has ill-intentions. I believe that he is driven by his need to outdo all those around him, to be appreciated."

"And what makes you think that?" Snape sighed. "Did you perhaps look into his mind, and find your answers? No, wait… You met some demon that nearly killed you."

"Now that… That is a concerning matter" Albus replied, his eyes becoming hardened. Finally, the real Albus Dumbledore joins the conversation. "But our hands are tied in regards to it. We cannot extract it, not without killing Ronald."

"Or so the Hat says" Snape interjected. "What if it's lying to you?"

"It cannot" Albus replied.

"The Hat has a duty to protect its students" Snape said before Albus could, and the old wizard nodded.

"And we cannot look into Ronald's mind without incurring its wrath" Albus sighed. "For now, we have no choice but to ignore it." Ignoring things is how we ended up in a damn war in the first place.

"It, or the boy?" Snape asked. "Has it occurred to you that perhaps Ronald is being controlled by it? That perhaps it's behind the boy's confusing actions?" Albus nodded slowly. "We are dealing with enough problems already, and yet that boy is all I can think about. I intend to find out why he is gathering so many allies, and I will."

"How?" Albus asked. "Do not use Legilimency."

"I am not a fool, Albus" Snape frowned. "I intend to insert myself into his life in a more prominent way." Albus rubbed his chin at that, and he signaled Snape to go on. "When he comes to me to discuss his electives, I will suggest that he enter my Potions Club as well."

"All of the students in that Club are fifth years or higher" Albus stated, and Snape smirked.

"Exactly" Snape replied. "You say that the boy wishes to be appreciated, and what better way to feel that way than to be invited to join my Club at such a young age?"

"You will aim for his vanity?"

"Yes, and that boy has a lot of it" Snape replied. "He will agree, I know it. And then, I plan to slowly get all the information I need out of him. A few compliments ought to earn me his favor, and then he'll open up eventually."

"This is… cruel" Albus sighed, and then he looked Snape dead in the eyes. "Do it, and keep me informed." Snape nodded, but he didn't get up to leave.

"There is one more thing, Albus" Snape started, and Dumbledore leaned forward a bit. "The other Heads of Houses, and myself, have been wondering about what we saw in the Chamber. You said that you'd look more into it, and we have given you enough time. Minerva plans to question you, and I stand behind her. We all want to know how the Dark Lord possessed the Weasley girl, and why he looked so young." Albus nodded at that.

"Thank you for warning me, Severus" Albus smiled. "When that time comes, I will share what I have learned."

"All of it?" Snape asked.

"As much as I've learned thus far" Albus replied.

---

Ronald Weasley's POV

Monday 13th April, 1993 (Pomfrey's Office – After Classes)

"At first I was really scared of telling them" Ron said as he lay on the couch, he had been talking for what felt like hours. "I thought that they would just… That they'd just see me differently."

"In a good way, or a bad way?" Pomfrey asked for clarification.

"Both, I guess" Ron mused. "More bad than good though. I felt like telling them would change their opinion of me. That they'd either see me as weak, or as simply damaged goods. That they'd pity me."

"But they don't?" Pomfrey smiled to herself.

"No, not one bit" Ron smiled widely as he stared at the ceiling, the thought of their reaction always made him smile. "They've been great about it, just like Daphne said that they would be. They're all carrying a vial of Calming Draught with them at all times just for me. But they also make mean jokes like before, and ask me for help with their homeworks. It feels like nothing has changed, but it sort of has. Do you get that?"

"I do" Pomfrey nodded. "You expected the worst, but they have surprised you in a good, meaningful way. They want to help you because they care about you, not because they pity you."

"Exactly" Ron beamed. "I was stupid to doubt them, especially Daphne."

"You mention Miss. Greengrass quite often" Pomfrey noted, and Ron's smile faltered. Uh-oh, nice one Weasley. "Do you see her as your 'best-friend'?" Ron thought about it, and then he nodded.

"I guess I do" Ron admitted. "But that only started this year. We used to disagree and fight a lot, but we've become more… tolerant of each other." That and other things. Hehe. "We still fight though, but we always work things out."

"Disagreements between friends can be a healthy thing, Mr. Weasley" Pomfrey told him. "True friends are not afraid of pointing out your mistakes, but they do it because they care."

"I suppose I make a few mistakes every now and then" Ron responded, and then he grinned. "Actually I make them quite often… But I'll never admit that to anyone. Except for you of course, but only because you can't tell anyone."

"That is one way to look at this" Pomfrey chuckled. "How are things with Charlie? Did you send him the letter?"

"I did" Ron replied. "He was happy to hear from me, and he told me a secret. He plans to come down for the Holidays to surprise mum and dad, and he asked me to not tell anyone."

"And you are telling me because I can't tell anyone?" Pomfrey chuckled again, and Ron grinned.

"Yeah" Ron admitted.

"Are you excited to see him?" Pomfrey asked.

"So excited" Ron beamed as he thought of his burly big brother. "He even challenged me to game of Chess, though I'm not sure if I should beat him. Charlie can be a sore loser, but I guess we have that in common."

"In our last session, we talked about failure Mr. Weasley" Pomfrey said suddenly, and Ron remembered the conversation. "You had a very strong opinion on what success and failure meant, does this come from your brother?"

"Um… No, not really" Ron admitted slowly. "I just don't like the concept of failing…"

"Does failing scare you?" Pomfrey asked.

"Yes…" Ron admitted, he didn't like where this was going. "Can we not talk about this, please?"

"Mr. Weasley, this is a safe-place remember?" Pomfrey reminded him gently. "I am not going to judge you in any way, you know that." Ron felt a cold shiver run through him, and he paled a little. Failure… How many Cycles have I failed? I need to ask the Entity that eventually. Maybe I can learn from the mistakes made by the other Rons, and avoid those mistakes. But I don't really want to talk to that evil prick… But I have to. Fucking hell, everything goes to shite whenever I talk to It. "Mr. Weasley, can you hear me?" Pomfrey asked a little more loudly, and Ron jerked out of his thoughts.

"Sorry…" Ron shook his head clear, and Pomfrey sighed.

"Tell me more about this study group that you mentioned at the start of our session" Pomfrey changed the topic, Ron's reaction had scared her a little. The boy had gone pale, and just disappeared into his own mind. This was not a good sign, especially for someone with his condition. Failure was a part of life, and Ron needed to accept that eventually.

"Oh…" Ron blinked, but he jumped at the opportunity. "It was great actually, and it went better than expected. Daphne and Millicent joined me, and they actually made friends. Wait no… Millie made friends with Lavender, sort of. Daphne was cold to everyone, but she was never rude or dismissive."

"It's important to you that your friends be friendlier?" Pomfrey asked.

"It is" Ron nodded. "Everyone in this school seems to… not like us. The Slytherins that is, and I can understand why. Most Slytherins are arseholes… But I don't want to be seen that way, and my friends are important to me. I want us all to be seen as just students, and to be given a fair chance."

"You said that only two of your friends joined you?" Pomfrey asked. "What about the others?"

"They… They didn't want to associate with the other houses" Ron sighed tiredly. "I can't understand why though. It only benefits us to have more friends and allies, but they refuse to see that. They're not stupid, but they're stupid when it comes to this."

"Perhaps you should step into their shoes" Pomfrey advised, and he turned his head to face her. "They may have reasons that seem logical to them, but not to you."

"So I should talk to them about it?" Ron asked.

"It couldn't hurt to try" Pomfrey replied. "Communication is key in every friendship, especially ones that you care about."

"Alright" Ron nodded. "I'll try and talk to them about it."

"And?" Pomfrey interjected.

"And be patient" Ron added on. "And keep my anger in check."

"Good" Pomfrey smiled, and then she looked at the clock. "Oh my, it's been just over an hour. We will end this session on that note, Mr. Weasley." Ron nodded, and he hopped off the couch and stretched.

"Merlin… I'm tired…" Ron yawned. "That couch is really comfortable."

"Thank you" Pomfrey chuckled. "I will see you again next week, same time."

"What if I get hurt before that?" Ron grinned, and she gave him a scolding look.

"Then I will twist one of your ears off" Pomfrey warned, and Ron laughed.

"I'd better be careful then" Ron said as he opened the door. "Take care, Madam Pomfrey."

"You too, Mr. Weasley" Pomfrey gave him a parting nod. Ron closed the door behind him and made his way towards the Sanctuary, his friends had told him that they'd be there. As Ron was making his way up the moving staircases, he spotted Ginny walking down in her Quidditch Outfit with her Comet 260 in tow. Ginny!

"Is that the future Quidditch sensation Ginny Weasley?" Ron asked as soon as she spotted him, and she snorted in response.

"Yeah, that's her" Ginny laughed. "Hi Ron, how are you?"

"I'm doing well, what about you?" Ron smiled. "Getting good grades I hope?"

"Ugh… Stop being like Percy, Ronnie" Ginny rolled her eyes. "He's always asking me how my grades are, but nothing else." Yeah, that sounds like him. "And I'm doing fine, so stop worrying about me."

"Who said that I was worried?" Ron teased as they stopped in front of each other, and Ron leaned against the stone barrier.

"Of course you're worried, I'm only the most important person in your life" Ginny grinned.

"Nah, Luna is" Ron teased, and Ginny lost her grin.

"If you say that again, I'll hex you in the face" Ginny warned, a glint of anger in her eyes.

"I won't, if you answer my question" Ron said seriously. "How are you, Gin? And don't lie, please." Ginny sighed deeply at that.

"I'm doing alright, Ron" Ginny assured him. "But it's a bit… It's a little hard being back here, especially after everything I did."

"Ginny, you didn't do anything" Ron grabbed her hand with his gloved one, and she smiled softly.

"No one knows that it was me" Ginny said in a meek tone. "They think I had a breakdown because of your attack, and they're all so kind to me. I hate it."

"I get that" Ron nodded.

"You do?" Ginny asked, she sounded almost hopeful.

"You don't want their pity" Ron replied, it is how he'd feel if he was in her shoes. If there was one thing that Ron hated more than the Entity, it was being pitied by people.

"Exactly" Ginny responded, her tone suddenly haughty. "Percy and the twins don't even understand that, and it's so annoying."

"You could always just tell them" Ron shrugged.

"Would you?" she asked haughtily.

"No."

"That's what I thought" Ginny smirked.

"Anything I can do to make you feel 'not pitied'?" Ron asked.

"You could send Helios to me" Ginny smiled. "I really miss him."

"Helios is doing some important stuff for me, and he isn't around often" Ron smiled apologetically, but Ginny's eyes sparkled.

"Oh, mysterious" Ginny grinned. "Tell me."

"No."

"Pleeeaase…" Ginny begged, and Ron chuckled. "No one tells me anything! What's the harm in telling me?"

"Fine" Ron replied, and Ginny listened intently. "He's secretly gathering intel on Vampire movements…" Ginny punched his left arm, and Ron laughed despite the pain shooting up his arm.

"You're an arse" Ginny frowned. "I'm going to the Quidditch Pitch to practice."

"Wait, want me to join you?" Ron asked, and she narrowed her eyes. "I can be Keeper, and you can practice being Chaser."

"Are you just trying to keep an eye on me?" Ginny asked. "I don't need a babysitter, Ron. I know how to fly."

"I know that, why do you think I got you all of your gear?" Ron shot back, and she flushed. Damn, I shouldn't throw that in her face. I got her that gear as a gift, not as something to hold over her head.

"Good point…" Ginny blinked. "Meet me there?"

"Yeah."

---

Thursday 16th April, 1993 (Sanctuary – Morning Free Periods)

The Stinging Hex flew past his head, the heat from the Spell warming his right cheek. Ron quickly fixed his footing, only to roll to his left quickly to dodge another Stinging Hex. The sand made his landing bearable, and Ron quickly jerked up with widened eyes. Maybe taking on four dummies without Pandora's Rune Ring wasn't a smart choice, he wasn't even getting enough time to throw out a Spell.

"Protego" Ron chanted, and he felt the weight of two Stinging Hexes slam into his shield. "Protego!" Ron chanted louder than before, and his new shield was immediately slammed with two more Hexes. For Merlin's sake! "Stupefy!" Ron quickly yelled, and one of the dummies flew back in response. His victory however was short lived because the other three dummies fired separate Stinging Hexes at the same time. "Prot…" the Hexes slammed into him, and he winced as he toppled onto his back. His ribs and right thigh stinging horribly. "Fuck…" Ron groaned, his eyes darting to the dummies. He was met with another Stinging Hex to the left shoulder, and he gasped from the jolt of pain. "Stop! Stop!" The dummies became lifeless again, while Ron groaned because of his new sore spots.

"Fucking hell…" Ron sighed as he rolled onto his stomach, his face now resting on the cool sand. He could feel the pain traveling up into his brain, and he had to clench his teeth in order to not cuss wildly. The pain was by no means unbearable, but the shame of being floored by dummies definitely was. If they were Death-Eaters, I'd be dead… My Cycle would have failed then and there, and my family and friends would pay the price for it. FUCK! He heard the door to the Sanctuary open, and he quickly stood up to avoid being seen on the floor.

"Ron?" came Tracey's voice, and Ron stepped into view. All of his Slytherin friends had just entered the Sanctuary, and their eyes were immediately fixed on him.

"You have sand on your face" Theo pointed out, and Ron quickly wiped it off. "Did you seriously just lose to dummies?" Theo teased, a grin forming on his face. Ron frowned deeply at that, his already agitated temper flaring even more.

"I'd like to see you try and fight four at once" Ron hissed. "You'd last maybe two seconds, judging from your garbage skills with a wand." His friends all just blinked, while Theo just lost his grin.

"Whatever" Theo replied bitterly, and then he walked over to the couches in order to ignore Ron. Ron however, glared at the weedy boy with ill-intentions. Stupid curly-haired fuck.

"A word, Ron?" Blaise asked, and Ron glared at him. If he lectures me… I swear to Merlin…

"What?" Ron barked, and the girls were quick to get out of his line of sight. The last thing they wanted was Ron tearing into them as well, and so they joined Theo quickly and quietly. Blaise however didn't move, instead he just stared at Ron. "Are you going to stand there like some damn statue, or do you want to talk?" Blaise gestured him towards the dummies, and Ron rolled his eyes. He doesn't want the little girls to overhear us and get their feelings hurt? Ron walked over to the dummies, and Blaise joined him.

"Why were you taking on four dummies?" Blaise asked in a calm tone.

"Oh, I just enjoy getting my arse kicked" Ron replied sarcastically. "Any other stupid questions? Or can I get back to my favorite pass-time?"

"I didn't Hex you, or make fun of you" Blaise stated with a raised eyebrow. "Don't take it out on me." Ron drew in a deep breath, and then he turned his head and cracked his neck loudly. Fucking stupid dummies. Fucking stupid Cycle. Fucking stupid Weasley. Ron took in another deep breath, and then he looked to Blaise with an expressionless face.

"What is it, Blaise?" Ron asked coldly. "I'm practicing." Like you should all be, you lazy incompetents.

"Two things" Blaise replied, at least Ron was trying to calm down. "Firstly, we were all planning to discuss our electives together. Secondly, Daphne didn't give you your Nutrition Potion at breakfast. She wanted to give it to you now, but she most likely wants to stay out of your way." Ron shot a look towards the couches, and he found himself frowning. "What is it?"

"You really need that long to discuss electives?" Ron asked.

"You want us to join you?" Blaise asked, his tone indifferent. Showing any sort of emotion would not be wise right now. If Ron didn't like his tone, he may end up getting knocked around the room. "In your current state?" Another excuse, why am I not surprised?

"Fine, go talk about your electives" Ron grit out. "And tell Daphne to leave the Potion behind." Ron then turned back to the dummies. "Back!" he ordered, and the dummies moved further away from him. He heard Blaise walk off, and he shot Blaise's back a quick look. Blaise was shaking his head to himself, and Ron felt a very small pang of guilt for being so harsh. But it left as soon as it came. "Three this time. Start!"

---

Tracey Davis' POV

Thursday 16th April, 1993 (Sanctuary – Morning Free Periods)

"So he won't be joining us?" Pansy asked Blaise as he walked over, while Tracey and Daphne watched Ron begin Dueling three dummies at once. What's wrong with him? He shouldn't be pushing himself like this. I know that Daphne told us to act like we normally do, but I can't stop worrying about him.

"No, he isn't in the mood" Blaise replied as he took a seat next to Millie.

"Good riddance" Theo spat out as he shot an annoyed look towards Ron. "He's such a tosser."

"You started it" Millie frowned at him.

"I made a joke, and he reacts like some psychopath" Theo frowned back at Millie. Great, now we're fighting.

"Give him a break" Tracey said gently, but Theo's frown got deeper.

"No, he doesn't have any right to speak to us like that" Theo argued, his voice not loud enough to be heard by Ron. "I don't care about his 'Chronic Stress', he needs to learn to speak to other people with some modicum of decency." Daphne gave Theo a dark look, and he sneered back at her.

"Just come off it" Blaise gave Theo a deadpan look. "And in all fairness, you shouldn't be poking him when he's clearly just been hexed."

"Why is he fighting so many at once?" Pansy asked, her eyes darting towards Ron.

"He's insane, that's why" Theo grumbled.

"Theo, just stop it" Tracey sighed deeply.

"Why are you always defending him?" Theo asked her. "You all just excuse his behavior, and that's why he thinks it's fine to treat us like this."

"Treat us like what?" Daphne asked coldly. "Give you the chance to sponge off of his hard-work? We all know how you've been throwing his name around whenever it suits you, so get off your high-horse. And you are a moron for making condescending remarks to him when he's clearly just received a thrashing."

"Whatever" Theo frowned as he crossed his arms and sank into his seat, whilst also glowering at the coffee table. They're both wrong. Theo was a condescending moron, but Ron seriously needs to calm the fuck down.

"By the way, he wants you to leave his Potion behind after we leave" Blaise told Daphne, the sound of Spells going off in the background muffling his voice a bit.

"Didn't you say that he needs to drink it right after he eats?" Millie asked, and Daphne nodded. All of them, except for Theo, exchanged looks. Shite, one of us has to take the hit.

"I already spoke to him" Blaise broke the silence, and the girls frowned at him. "Sorry, but I'm fresh out of 'Calm Ron down' cards." Tracey looked over to Daphne, and she saw that her best friend looked extremely conflicted. She wants to give him the Potion, but she doesn't want him getting angry with her. When is she going to get over him? This isn't even a cute crush anymore, it's just sad. But despite her thoughts, Tracey didn't want Daphne taking this hit.

"Give it to me" Tracey sighed, her tone defeated. I'm so stupid.

"Really?" Daphne smiled gratefully, and then she handed Tracey the Potion. Pansy and Millie also gave her thankful smiles, but Tracey couldn't even enjoy them. I hope he's let some anger out on those dummies, because I really don't want to start my day by getting verbally abused. Tracey got up, and she walked over to the practicing area slowly. She watched Ron disarm two dummies in quick succession, but then he took a hit on his right shoulder from the third dummy. Tracey winced just like Ron did.

"Stop!" Ron grit out, and the third dummy became lifeless. Go now!

"Ron" Tracey said quickly, she didn't want him starting again just yet. He turned to face her, all the while massaging his right shoulder. That Stinging Hex looked like it hurt. "Can I talk to you really quickly?"

"Sure" Ron replied coldly, and then he faced the dummies again. Tracey approached him, the Potion in her left hand.

"You should drink this now" Tracey said as she showed him the pink Potion, and he glared at it. "Daphne says that you have to drink it right after you eat, so you shouldn't wait."

"She sent you?" Ron asked, his eyes on the Potion.

"Um… not exactly" Tracey mumbled. "She doesn't want you to… It doesn't matter, please just drink it now." Ron looked at her for a few seconds, and then his expression softened considerably. He took the Potion, removed the cork, and gulped it down. His face contorted in disgust, and Tracey found herself feeling sorry for him again. He has to drink that every day for the rest of his life. I wish Daphne never told me that.

"Ugh… here" Ron grimaced as he handed her the empty vial, and Tracey pocketed it. They looked at each other for a couple of seconds, and then Tracey turned to leave. She managed one step before he grabbed her hand with his left one, and Tracey stopped immediately. She felt a jolt of panic, and even fear, but she didn't show it. Instead she turned to face him again, but he was looking at their joined hands.

"Ron?" Tracey asked.

"Tell… Tell him that I'm sorry…" Ron muttered, a slightly sad look on his face. Tracey had to fight the urge to smile, but she did squeeze his hand in a comforting manner. Ron let go of her hand at that, and he turned back to the dummies. Tracey made her way back to the rest of the group, and she took her seat.

"Thanks for that, Trace" Daphne said, and Tracey shrugged her shoulders.

"It's no worries" Tracey told her, and then she looked to Theo. "He's says that he's sorry." Theo looked up from the coffee table and right at her, and then he sighed and rubbed his face. An awkward silence surrounded them, and the sound of Ron dueling in the background just made it feel heavier.

"You mentioned mood swings?" Theo asked Daphne suddenly, and she nodded. Daphne had told them everything about Ron's Chronic Stress after his confession, and although they'd never tell him, they were actively being mindful of everything that they said to him.

"Will he ever get better?" Pansy asked. Now that's a good question.

"I don't know that, but he will get better at handling his emotions" Daphne sighed. "Look, I've told you lot everything that I know. But I don't know what the future holds. So all I can do is ask you all to be patient with him, alright?"

"Being patient is fine" Blaise replied. "But he needs to know that he can't just take his anger out on us, especially when we haven't done anything to trigger it. Theo was a tosser, but Ron's reaction was unwarranted."

"You should talk to him, Daph" Millie suggested. "He listens to you."

"He also listens to Blaise, why do I have to always do it?" Daphne asked, and Tracey blinked. Since when does she not jump at the chance to get Ron alone? Tracey looked around, and she noticed that her other friends had also caught on.

"Daphne, are you two fighting again?" Pansy asked slowly.

"What? No" Daphne huffed. "And I don't want to start."

"So you're avoiding him because he's in a bad mood?" Tracey asked, and Daphne shifted in her seat.

"Give me a break" Daphne frowned a little. "I'm always the one who takes the brunt of his anger. And we just had that… fight… I don't want to start anything again so soon after, alright?" I guess she's right, but I am not taking that hit either. I just did the Potion thing, so I'm out. Tracey knew that she was being selfish, but Ron's anger was legendary amongst them. It was toxic, and explosive. And his words usually left you feeling hurt and even worthless.

"I'll do it" Millie sighed.

"I'll help you" Pansy offered, and Millie smiled gratefully. Is it just me, or are those two acting really chummy ever since the Break? Pansy Parkinson being chummy with Millicent Bulstrode, that's just not right.

"We can all discuss electives after Ron's… settled down" Blaise instructed, and then he turned to Theo. "Stay out of his way, and keep your witty comments to yourself."

"Yeah, yeah…" Theo sighed, a slightly guilty look on his face.

---

Pansy Parkinson's POV

Sunday 19th April, 1993 (Quidditch Pitch – Afternoon)

Ron was currently flying around with his sister Ginny, and from what Pansy had seen, Ginny was easily the better of the two. But then again, Ron was playing Keeper and didn't need to fly around much. But Ginny, the little devil, was as fast as lightning and had a solid arm on her. Pansy and Millie were both currently sitting in the Slytherin stands, and they were waiting for Ron to finish up. They had both promised the others to talk to Ron, and now that a few days had gone by, it seemed the right time to talk to him about his anger. Pansy was not looking forward to this conversation, and a part of her was regretting offering Millie her help. But in the moment it had just seemed like the right thing to do, especially because Millie had helped her greatly during the Break. But why am I regretting it now? Merlin, maybe I'm just a petty person like mother.

"Ginny is quite amazing for her age, don't you think?" Millie asked, and Pansy broke out of her thoughts. "And she's got a solid throwing arm for someone so small."

"Maybe it's just a Weasley trait?" Pansy mused. "Her brothers are Beaters, and Ron's told us that his brother Charlie played Seeker and was Quidditch Captain for Gryffindor."

"Percy and Ron clearly didn't get that trait" Millie stated. "What's his other brother's name? The Curse Breaker?"

"William, but Ron calls him Bill" Pansy replied. "And Ron's not that bad, it's just that Ginny's better." Pansy then saw Ron do a sharp turn and kick the Quaffle away from the middle hoop, while Ginny quickly flew after it. "See, he's stopped quite a few of them." Ginny grabbed the Quaffle before it hit the ground, and she flew back up at an alarming speed. As she reached higher altitude, she hurled the Quaffle towards the right hoop, and Ron missed it completely.

"And she scores again" Millie chuckled. "I reckon she should try out for their team next year, she's definitely get in."

"That wouldn't be good for us, Millie" Pansy frowned slightly, and Millie shrugged.

"I like her" Millie admitted. "So I don't mind too much. Plus, Quidditch is boring." Pansy smiled teasingly at that.

"Don't like watching the boys play?" Pansy wiggled her eyebrows, and Millie scoffed. "Don't like seeing them all sweaty, and smelling like grass?"

"Shut up" Millie waved dismissively, and Pansy broke into a giggle when she saw Millie blushing. "And I'm never listening to you again when it comes to boys… 'Ron is gay, Millie'… 'We should tell Daphne'… I've never been so humiliated in my life." Pansy lost her laughter at that, and she flushed red from embarrassment. Not my finest moment, that's for sure. But something still seems off to me.

"Isn't it weird how sure Daphne was that Ron wasn't gay?" Pansy asked.

"I guess" Millie shrugged. "But then again, I think it was mostly from her inability to move on from her crush. She really can't understand the notion of just giving up, can she?"

"Hmmm" Pansy hummed as she thought back to Daphne attacking Ron. "It all just seemed… weird to me."

"How?"

"Well for one, why did Ron blush when talking about Potter?" Pansy asked. "And then there was the whole Brown thing… He just decides to ask her out? And then he doesn't?"

"He got scared, Pans" Millie sighed, she didn't want to hear more of Pansy's theories.

"Ron? The guy who bit open his own mouth for a game of Chess? That Ron?"

"He's a human being, despite what some of you seem to believe" Millie said firmly. "Not to mention his mental health situation. It isn't hard to believe that he backed out from asking a pretty girl. And Brown is probably the third prettiest girl in class, after the Patil twins." Ugh… I hate Brown, and her bouncy blonde hair. And her stupid perfect teeth, and her stupid short skirts. Why does she have to wear such short skirts?

"But still" Pansy went on, and Millie rolled her eyes. "First Daphne was certain that he wasn't gay, then she wanted us to test it, then she was all sad, and then she was mad when he wasn't. And then she bloody attacks him, and he doesn't hold it against her? Something is seriously off here."

"Oh, look at that" Millie grinned. "Ron is coming down from flying, we should go down there now."

"Are you seriously just ignoring me?" Pansy asked as she got up and followed after Millie.

"We should get them some juice, they must be exhausted" Millie stated, completely ignoring Pansy's theories.

"Millie" Pansy whined. "Listen to me. Please!"

"No thanks, I've had enough egg on my face" Millie remarked. "I'm staying away from Ron's sexuality as much as possible, and so should you. And stop thinking about that, we have a job to do." Pansy hung her head, but she didn't argue. I'll talk to Daphne about it tonight, that's if Ron doesn't put us in the Hospital Wing. Oh, stop exaggerating. He may yell and get red in the face, but he would never put a finger on us. But still, I'm so nervous. They made their way down, and just as they entered the Quidditch Pitch, Pansy saw something that made her stomach drop.

"Oh no…" Pansy muttered as she saw Draco and Marcus Flint watching Ron talk to his sister. Both Weasleys seemed to be oblivious to the glares being sent their way from the exit gate.

"Of course this happens, just our bloody luck" Millie frowned. What are those two doing here? And why are they glaring at Ron? "We should get to Ron and his sister first, I think Malfoy wants to get Ron into trouble."

"Trouble over what?" Pansy asked as she picked up her pace.

"First Ron was flying around with Potter, and now with another Gryffindor" Millie explained. "Why else would the Quidditch Captain of Slytherin be here?"

"He's flying with his sister" Pansy sighed. "Is that a crime now?"

"We don't know what lies Malfoy has whispered into Flint's ears" Millie replied. Why does he keep antagonizing Ron like that? I thought that after whatever happened between them, they both decided to stay clear of each other.

"Hello" Ron greeted them as they finally got to him and Ginny.

"Ron, can we talk to you?" Millie asked, and Ron gave her a confused look.

"Sure, but can't it wait? I'm with my sister" Ron answered slowly, and Ginny frowned him.

"Way to make me feel like a burden" Ginny narrowed her eyes on Ron, and he gave her a sheepish smile. We don't have time for this. Pansy shot a look back, and her eyes widened when she saw Flint walking over to them with Draco following closely behind. The smirk on Draco's face made her groan internally.

"Ron, Malfoy is coming over" Pansy told him bluntly, and he shot a look behind her and frowned.

"Isn't that the Slytherin Quidditch Captain with him?" Ginny asked. "Ohhh, maybe they saw me thrashing you and they want my autograph." Ron didn't say anything to that, his eyes fixed on Draco and Flint. "Really? No comeback, Ronnie? I'm disappointed." Is she serious? Do they not have internal conflict in Gryffindor? This could get really ugly.

"Take my sister back to the castle" Ron instructed, and Ginny frowned.

"Stop babying me, Ron" Ginny said in a puffed-up tone.

"I'll take her back" Pansy offered, and Ron nodded. "Come on, Ginny" Pansy said as she gestured towards the exit.

"No" Ginny refused, a determined look in her eye. "I'm not just going to leave when those two boys clearly want to start a fight." Gah! Gryffindors!

"There won't be a fight, Gin" Ron assured her, and then he looked at the two Slytherins as they got closer and closer.

"Weasley, what's going on here?" Flint asked, his troll-like face sneering. He is so ugly, yuck. Pansy and Millie moved over to Ron's side, effectively shielding Ginny. Ginny however, stomped her foot and went around them to stand next to Ron. This girl…

"Nothing is going on here" Ron replied politely, making Draco lose his smirk. "I was just practicing Quidditch with my sister, that's all."

"Practicing Quidditch?" Draco sneered, and Pansy found herself wondering why she was calling him Draco in her mind again. Malfoy, that's what he is now. We aren't friends, and we're barely even acquaintances. "Why? You're never joining the Slytherin team." Is that why he brought Flint along? Is he that insecure? Pathetic. I don't know why I ever liked him. Getting away from him was the smartest decision that I've ever made.

"With a Seeker like you, I'd rather not" Ron smirked, and Malfoy grimaced.

"Why are you practicing with a Gryffindor?" Flint asked. "You can just practice with someone from Slytherin, can't you?"

"Like I said, I wanted to practice with my sister" Ron repeated calmly.

"And what's it to you?" Ginny asked angrily. "Sod off." Shite… Millie put a firm hand on Ginny's shoulder, and Pansy hoped that that was a clear enough signal to shut up.

"What did you say?" Flint hissed, his eyes shooting to Ginny.

"Forgive her, she is just feeling the rush from Quidditch" Ron tried to defuse the situation, Pomfrey had warned him to keep his anger in check. Ginny shot Ron an angry look for apologizing to their bullies. "Now that I've explained what I'm doing, can we have our privacy?"

"He's also been 'practicing' with Potter" Malfoy shot up. "I've seen it myself, and everyone's been talking about it."

"Care to explain that?" Flint asked.

"He doesn't have to explain anything to you" Ginny snapped, getting annoyed at Malfoy for bringing Harry into this. "What's your problem?"

"No one is talking to you, you little…" Malfoy started, but Ron cut in.

"Mind your mouth Malfoy, don't make me angry" Ron hissed, his face flushing. Pansy shot a quick look to Millie, and Millie nodded in understanding.

"We were just leaving" Pansy told them, and both Slytherin boys looked to her. "This doesn't have to turn into a stupid fight, let's just leave it alone and be on our separate ways."

"And Professor Snape won't be happy about this" Millie added on. That seemed to catch Flint's attention, and he slowly moved aside. Malfoy clenched his jaw at Flint for giving up so easily, but he didn't say anything. Thank Merlin. Pansy shot Malfoy an annoyed glance, and she decided that she'd confront him later.

"Let's go" Ron said as he started walking away, his voice harsher than Pansy liked. They all walked off the Quidditch Pitch, leaving Malfoy and Flint behind, and Pansy let out a long sigh.

"What was that, Ron?" Ginny suddenly asked, all of them stopping halfway to the castle. She had an angry, and irritated, look on her face. "A rush from Quidditch? That's what you have to say about me? Why didn't you stand up to them?"

"Fighting them would only get us in trouble, Gin" Ron exhaled as he turned to face her. "They're my house-mates, and I can't just go around starting fights with them." At least he's finally starting to understand that his actions will have consequences for us all.

"Wow…" Ginny muttered, and then she sneered. "That's just cowardly, Ron." Ron blinked at that, and Pansy found herself frowning at Ginny. "Way to show me that you have a backbone…"

"I do have a backbone" Ron frowned slightly, while Millie and Pansy both decided to stay out of this.

"Not from what I just saw" Ginny shot back. "They wanted a fight, and you just walked off with your tail tucked between your legs. How is that 'having a backbone'?"

"I defused a potential situation" Ron told her, his voice rising. Maybe I should step in, but this seems more like a family thing. "And I saved us from getting detentions."

"Whatever" Ginny said hotly. "At least now I can see why you weren't placed in Gryffindor." With that, Ginny stormed off while Ron just stood there. Millie had a dark scowl on her face, whereas Pansy was just watching Ron process Ginny's words. Pansy felt like she should say something, but Ron's darkening look stopped her.

"She's just angry about what happened Ron, don't listen to her" Millie spoke up, though she herself was scowling as she watched Ginny march off. Ron drew in a deep breath, and then he looked to Millie.

"I'm fine" he said coldly, and then he turned around and also marched off. So much for talking to him about him not taking his anger out on us anymore.

"We should follow him" Millie suggested.

"And do what?" Pansy sighed. "Don't you think that we'd just be making things worse? And he controlled his anger just fine."

"Damn Malfoy…" Millie frowned. "And Ginny had no right to say that."

"On that, I agree with you" Pansy said. "We should go warn the others to leave Ron alone, and tell them about Malfoy."

"I thought that he had finally backed off" Millie grit out. "What's his problem now?"

"I think he's jealous" Pansy replied. "And it's only getting worse with Ron's new fame. C'mon Mills… Let's go and find the others before they find Ron, and before they put their feet in their mouths."

---

Theodore Nott's POV

Sunday 19th April, 1993 (Common Room – Afternoon)

Contrary to popular belief, Theo was not a petty person. Well, he wasn't petty when it came to his friends. He was definitely petty when it came to strangers, and doubly so when it came to people that he didn't like. But he held his pettiness in check when it came to his friends, mostly because he understood that they too were petty. Holding things against them would only create an endless cycle of wrongs and revenge. This kind of behavior came from a need to constantly defend yourself in a school where three of the four houses hated you on principle, while your own house was filled with schemers and opportunists.

Theo was a schemer, and he was definitely an opportunist. So much so that he had no problem throwing Ron's name around in order to charm the younger witches of Hogwarts. He'd tell them that he was Ron's best friend, and the one who supported him emotionally. Ron had turned into something of a caricature in Theo's tall tales, but it still got him the attention that he enjoyed so much. Was this kind of behavior selfish? Yes. Was it necessary? No. Was it fun? Definitely. But that's all Theo saw it as, fun. Nothing more, nothing less. He'd never do anything to harm Ron's well-earned fame, and yet his other friends didn't seem to believe that. According to them, Theo was petty and selfish. They were such hypocrites.

Daphne actually believed herself to be the all-knowing 'Ron encyclopedia' that was put on Earth just to keep Ron safe and happy, but it often just made her come across as self-important and delusional. Especially considering the fact that she would snarl at, or threaten, any girl that even looked towards Ron. Daphne claimed to want what was best for Ron, but she just wanted Ron. She was a spoiled girl who had always gotten whatever she wanted. That was it. She was just as selfish as Theo, the only difference between them being that Theo didn't delude himself with pretty lies.

Pansy was far too attached to Ron, so much so that it bordered on being unhealthy. She needed him there constantly, and if he ever got angry or displeased, she'd spend the whole day in a daze. Theo would sympathize with her, if it wasn't so damn pathetic. Pansy was a follower, and she had always been a follower. First it was Malfoy, and now it was Ron. The major difference between the two being that Ron actually treated her with respect and affection, whereas Malfoy treated her as if she was an underling. And that had caused her to depend on Ron, sort of like a puppy that went from an abusive caretaker to a loving caretaker. And although there was no doubt in Theo's mind that Pansy had improved considerably as a person, because she had, she still put too much faith in following others.

Millie was probably the only person that Theo couldn't find many faults in. She had always been their group's punching bag, until they had undergone a change in leadership. Their new leader, Ron, didn't care much for cruelty or hurtful insults. Instead he respected those who worked hard, and he tried to help those who didn't. Millie had blossomed under Ron's leadership, and Theo honestly respected her for it. She worked hard to change her image in the group, and she had accomplished that. But that resulted in her giving Ron her undying loyalty, and becoming the Crabbe and Goyle to Ron's Malfoy.

Tracey was… She was someone that did Theo's head in. How she managed to be the only girl in the group that turned his head was beyond him. She was funny, witty, and quite clever when it suited her. But she was insecure, even after everything that had happened. For some reason, she still believed that people judged her for her Blood-Status. Theo didn't. She was a Half-Blood, and Slytherin was filled with Half-Bloods. But her insecurities were still there, and they held her back. She pretty much just swayed with the most popular opinion, and she barely ever said anything that went against the flow. And the most annoying part of her insecurities was her constant need for validation. Which resulted in her making a joke out of everything, even when the time for jokes was well and truly gone. And if Daphne said something, Tracey would follow it as if it was gospel.

Blaise was just Blaise. Cold, detached, and uninterested in his surroundings. That is until his safety bubble was threatened. Only then would he act, and more often than not, he'd save the day. But it wasn't some heroic act of benevolence. It was simply him protecting his safety bubble. Blaise could be described with only one word: Passive. A lifetime of disappointment had made Blaise put up walls around himself, a bubble if you will. Theo couldn't deny that his childhood friend had changed a lot over the last two years, but Theo could still see how passive Blaise still was. He didn't try simply because he didn't want to fail, and when he did try, it was only because he felt that he had no other choice. One of these days, Blaise was going to act too late and regret it forever.

And then there was Ron, their fearless leader. Was Ron a great bloke? Yes. Was he fair? Yes. Did he work harder than anyone else in their year? Definitely. But was he always right? No. And yet he believed himself to be. To Ron, the only opinion that really mattered in the end was his own. If he had a goal, he'd achieve it. And Merlin help anyone who got in his way. Ron was stubborn beyond belief, he was violent and easily-angered, and he was undoubtedly the strongest of them all. This meant that if Ron put his foot down, everyone would do as he commanded. Otherwise you'd be risking a concussion, or in the case of Harry Potter, a fucked up face. It was at the Dueling Club that Theo had finally realized that Ron was potentially a more dangerous leader to follow than Malfoy. Because while Malfoy only made threats, Ron could break your bones and laugh while he did it. It didn't matter if he saw you as his friend a few days ago, if you wronged him, he'd fuck you up. If it wasn't for Ron's righteous and seemingly benevolent ideals, Theo would have left long ago. Ron scared Theo, and he scared the others too. But none of them wanted to admit that because they knew that he'd be devastated. And then he'd get pissed.

Theo's friends, much like himself, weren't perfect. They each had flaws, and Theo was the kind of person who observed people's flaws. He didn't put people on pedestals, he saw them for who they really were. And that gave him the unique ability to look past the rough edges of his friends. But just once, in a moment of hurt, Theo had failed to look past Ron's anger fueled comment. After spending some time with it, Theo had come to see where he had gone wrong. Firstly, he shouldn't have made that comment after they all clearly saw Ron try and hide the fact that he lost to dummies. Ron was proud, and kicking him when he was down was just plain stupid. Secondly, Theo had thrown a tantrum about Ron's attitude. A tantrum that seemingly disturbed Blaise's safety bubble, and so Blaise had launched a plan to influence Ron's behavior 'in a positive way'. Theo didn't feel that this was necessary. Despite their flaws, they all worked together exceptionally well. What was the point of fixing something that wasn't broken?

Pansy and Millie were no doubt talking to Ron right now about his behavior, Merlin help them both. No one could give verbal lashings like Ron could. He honed in on your insecurities, and he beat the shite out of them with gusto. Then there was always the danger of him ripping out his wand and hexing your face off, something that he had fortunately never done. But still… They were all Slytherins, and self-preservation was law.

All in all, Theo was just upset with himself. Ron was dealing with enough shite, and Theo had just piled more onto his plate. And now everyone wanted to talk to Ron about his anger issues, as if they didn't have flaws themselves. Fuck, I hate feeling guilty. I wish I never threw that tantrum, all it's done is put a spotlight on Ron for his shortcomings.

"Theo, are you alright?" Tracey asked, and he looked at her with a smile. Her emerald eyes were shining because of the cozy fire in front of them, and Theo's stomach felt light. Stop it. Father would never approve of her parents, or her.

"Yeah, just thinking…" Theo shrugged.

"That's new" Tracey chuckled. Another joke, just humor her.

"Is it supposed to hurt?" Theo asked. "I'm kind of new at this, and I can't say that I'm enjoying it much." Tracey laughed at that, something that garnered everyone's attention. Unlike Tracey, they understood that this wasn't a time for jokes. Pansy and Millie were probably having a really uncomfortable talk with Ron right now, and if they messed it up, Ron would be in a bad mood for days. That's when he saw both girls entering the common room with defeated looks, and no Ron. For fuck's sake, they messed it up. I'm an idiot for bringing this about.

"What happened?" Daphne asked them as they sat down on either side of Blaise. "Did you talk to him? Is he upset? Where is he?"

"He didn't come here?" Millie asked, and they all stared at her. "No, we didn't get to talk to him. Malfoy showed up, and everything went to hell."

"What?" Theo asked. Malfoy again? I thought we were past that. "What happened?"

"Ron was flying around with his sister, and he was in a great mood" Pansy replied, her shoulders slumped. "But then Malfoy brings Marcus Flint with him, and they start questioning Ron's actions."

"What actions?" Blaise asked, a thoughtful look on his face. Man the walls, the bubble is threatened.

"They questioned him about him flying around with Gryffindors" Pansy replied.

"Potter…" Theo sighed, now it made sense. "I knew that was going to come back and bite Ron in the arse."

"He needs to stop seeing those three" Daphne huffed angrily.

"I agree" Tracey joined in. "Every time he starts associating with them, Malfoy starts using that as ammunition."

"Did he lose his temper?" Daphne asked slowly.

"Surprisingly, he didn't" Millie replied, and they all looked at her to go on. "Pansy and I defused the situation, and Ron took the chance to walk away from it before it got out of hand. But that's when his sister decided to speak her mind."

"She called him spineless" Pansy sighed.

"Ron? Spineless?" Theo almost felt the need to laugh. Is she stupid?

"Not just spineless" Millie added on. "But she even remarked about him not being sorted into Gryffindor for it. He then walked off…"

"Great" Blaise sighed. "Just great… He's probably in the Sanctuary, and he's most definitely pissed off again." A silence fell on them all, someone had to go and check on Ron. Theo took the opportunity to look around, and he studied his friends' faces. Tracey was looking away, Daphne looked guilty, Pansy was lost in her mind, Millie was frowning, and Blaise was clearly making some plan. Theo felt his stomach tighten, and for a second he was back in the Sanctuary as he was throwing his tantrum. Damn guilt, go away. But it didn't. It just stayed with him, and he let out a groan.

"I'm going to go and talk to him" Theo said as he stood up, and everyone shot him disbelieving looks. "Oh, sod off. He's my friend too, and I do care about him." Theo then walked out of the common room before he could hear or see their reactions. Stupid guilt, look at the situation that you've put me in. Theo marched up the moving stair-case, and he snuck through the seventh floor. Why the fuck is this place up here? I'm always worried about getting ambushed by some angry Gryffindors. Theo paced back and forth in front of the entrance, and the door to the Sanctuary appeared. Theo entered it quickly, and he shut the door behind him. He then looked over to the couches, and he found Ron seating in his favorite seat.

"Has anyone ever told you how handsome you look?" Theo put on a smirk as he approached Ron, and Ron shot him a deadpan look. "Sitting there with a clenched jaw, brooding as you stare longingly into the flames. Very handsome. Although your long nose ruins that a bit, and your dry skin."

"What do you want, Theo?" Ron asked in a tired tone. He's not angry? No, he just looks… sad.

"Can't I just talk to my friend?" Theo asked as he took a seat which was facing Ron.

"You haven't spoken to me for the last three days" Ron stated, and then he looked back into the fire. "I thought you were still upset with me."

"Not really upset, just guilty" Theo admitted, and Ron looked back at him. "I overreacted mate, sorry about that."

"Me too" Ron smiled a little.

"There's that beautiful smile that brightens my day" Theo smirked, and Ron genuinely laughed.

"Fuck off" Ron snorted.

"Can't do that just yet" Theo smiled, it was good to see Ron not angry. "I heard what happened with Malfoy… and your sister."

"Yeah…" Ron lost his smile. "She called me a coward…"

"She's stupid if she thinks that" Theo stated, and Ron clenched his jaw.

"Don't speak about her like that" Ron said firmly. What is it with him and his sisters? They seemingly can't do any wrong in his eyes. Wish I had that gift in regards to Ron. Imagine the power that I'd wield within Slytherin if Ron always had my back, and attacked anyone that went after me.

"Sorry" Theo put up his hands in a placating manner. "You did the right thing by ignoring Malfoy, although his return into our lives isn't a good sign."

"The 'Malfoy problem'…" Ron sighed as he rubbed his eyes with his gloved hand.

"The what?" Theo blinked, and Ron waved a dismissive hand.

"Nothing, mate" Ron replied, and then he drew in a deep breath. "I'm glad that we're talking again. I… I missed you." Theo shifted in his seat a bit, he missed Ron too. Is it just me, or does he say nice things more often now? What's changed? Is it the Mind-Healing?

"You sure that you're not gay?" Theo asked, a grin appearing on his face.

"Did you come here to check up on me?" Ron asked, ignoring Theo's remark. "I'm fine… I just wanted to be alone after Ginny…"

"I get that" Theo replied. "And yes, I did come up here to check up on you. I may have caused a small problem for you, and I thought that I'd apologize in advance."

"What did you do?" Ron asked.

"After our little… squabble, I may have thrown a small tantrum" Theo admitted slowly, and Ron narrowed his eyes on him. "I pointed out that you sometimes… lash out verbally at us, and that you shouldn't do that… And now, the others want to talk to you about it." Ron nodded slowly, and then he looked to be in deep thought. Theo sat there for almost a minute in complete silence, his guilt gnawing at him again.

"I'm sorry" Ron broke the silence, a guilty look on his face. "I… I don't have any right to do that. And I will be more mindful in the future." Theo blinked at that, he was honestly gobsmacked.

"What the fuck? Who are you?" Theo asked, half-joking and half-serious. "Is this from the Mind-Healing? What is Pomfrey doing to you?"

"It's not just her, I've just started looking at the bigger picture" Ron replied, his gaze falling back on the fire.

"Bigger picture?" Theo asked with narrowed eyes.

"Don't worry about it, it's something that relates to me" Ron replied cryptically. "I'm sorry for taking out my anger on you guys."

"You're starting to scare me" Theo said slowly.

"Worried about me, Theo?" Ron smirked at the fire. Yes, you noble prick.

"What would I do without you?" Theo asked. "Do you have any idea how many witches approach me just to hear about you, and how I keep you centered? Oh, how they swoon when I tell them of how I look after you after you push yourself too hard."

"You arsehole" Ron chuckled. "Just don't turn me into some joke, and you can do whatever you want."

"Too late" Theo grinned, and Ron shook his head with a soft smile. "Do you want to come down and change out of your Quidditch gear? You smell horrible."

"A shower does sound nice" Ron admitted, and then he stood up. They both began making their way out, and Ron broke the silence. "Is my skin really that dry?"

"Oh yeah, it is" Theo replied truthfully. "But I've got a great moisturizer, and you can have some. I'll leave it on the bathroom counter. Use it twice a day, and your skin will improve within a week or two."

"And you call me gay" Ron rolled his eyes.

---

Ronald Weasley's POV

Monday 20th April, 1993 (Pomfrey's Office – After Classes)

"And she thinks that I'm some coward now" Ron fumed, he was currently pacing the room with a cushion in his arms. "What was I supposed to do? Hit Malfoy and Flint? Flint is twice my size, and I wasn't wearing…" Shite, don't tell her about your ring.

"Wearing?" Pomfrey asked.

"What I meant was that I didn't have my wand on me" Ron corrected himself, and then he felt his frustration spike again. "Did she want me to get my arse kicked? Would that have convinced her that I'm not a coward?"

"You did the right thing, Mr. Weasley" Pomfrey assured him, and Ron stopped pacing and faced her. "You controlled your anger, and you stopped the feud from escalating. I commend you on your restraint."

"Well, according to Ginny, I'm just some spineless snake" Ron huffed.

"Did she say that?" Pomfrey asked.

"Not specifically" Ron replied. "But she called me spineless, and then she told me that she 'now knew why I wasn't sorted into Gryffindor'… Gryffindor" Ron spat venomously. "Bunch of pompous, self-gratified bastards…"

"Mr. Weasley, do not turn your anger towards an entire house for the actions of one person" Pomfrey advised.

"But it's true" Ron argued. "They strut about this school like they're the greatest thing to have ever happened. Can't they see that they're just as arrogant as Malfoy? He acts all high-and-mighty, and all because he's a Malfoy. They act all high-and-mighty, and all because they're in Gryffindor."

"That may or may not be true, but we are not here to discuss them" Pomfrey responded. "We're here to talk about you, Mr. Weasley. Tell me, why did Ginny's comment hurt you so much?"

"It didn't hurt me" Ron defended himself, but Pomfrey just stared at him. Fine, it hurt. It hurt a lot. "I'm not a coward" Ron managed.

"I believe that wholeheartedly" Pomfrey smiled kindly. "But we need to look into why her comment affected you so much."

"Because they're all Gryffindors, and I'm not" Ron sighed as he fell onto the couch, and he squeezed the cushion against his chest as he lay down. "The first time I managed to outdo my brothers in something, and it was me being sorted into a house that my family hates. But of everyone in my Weasley family, Ginny was the only person who didn't care about my sorting one bit. And now, she had no problem throwing it in my face. What gives her the right to judge me? All I did was walk away from a potentially messy problem."

"Perhaps she didn't really think that her comment would hurt you so much?" Pomfrey suggested, and Ron gave her a deadpan look. "Maybe she just said it because she was filled with adrenaline? Your sister has been through a lot this year, and being confronted like that no doubt took her off-guard. And she seems to have lashed out at everyone in sight as a self-defense mechanism, including you."

"Hmmm" Ron hummed, he hadn't thought about her trauma. "So I should try and understand her side, rather than lash out myself?"

"Exactly" Pomfrey smiled. She has been through a lot, maybe she should be here too?

"Madam Pomfrey…" Ron started. "Would you be willing to see my sister?"

"Excuse me?" Pomfrey blinked.

"She's been through a lot this year, and she's clearly having trouble adjusting" Ron sat up and faced Pomfrey. "I mean, she's been practicing Quidditch all day, every day. At first I didn't think much of it, but now… Now I think that she's avoiding people."

"Is that so?" Pomfrey asked.

"Ginny is a loud, social person" Ron told her. "Believe me, when we're at home, she never shuts up. But now she doesn't really talk much, and she's clearly avoiding people. I'm convinced of it. You can help her better than I could, so please consider it." Pomfrey nodded slowly.

"She has to be willing to come here herself, Mr. Weasley" Pomfrey responded. "I can't force her to be here, just like I can't force you to be here."

"What if I convince her?" Ron asked, his voice suddenly excited at the prospect of helping Ginny.

"Then I would be more than happy to see her" Pomfrey agreed.

---

Wednesday 22nd April, 1993 (Great Hall – Dinner)

Ron eyed Ginny from across the Great Hall, and he noticed something peculiar once again. Ginny was sitting with the first years, but she wasn't really talking. She was just listening to them talk, and nodding absent-mindedly. Ron cursed himself for not seeing this sooner, Ginny wasn't happy to be here. Damnit, I'm such a fucking moron! Ron then looked to his brothers, and a deep scowl was etched upon his face. The twins were laughing loudly and talking to Lee Jordan, while Percy was smiling at someone at the Ravenclaw table. Ron followed his gaze to a girl with long, brown curly hair, and he saw her smiling back at Percy. Is that the girl I saw Percy with on the Marauder's Map at the start of the school year? What was her name? Something Clearwater…

"Ron, why are you glaring at the Ravenclaws?" Tracey asked, a smirk on her face.

"Maybe he's eyeing Padma Patil" Theo suggested, and Ron frowned at them both.

"Can we not start this?" Ron rolled his eyes. "I'm trying to think of something important here." If I ask Ginny to see Pomfrey, I'll no doubt have to tell her that I'm seeing Pomfrey too. Then she'll ask why because she's too nosy not to, and I'll have to tell the truth. Otherwise she'll just get angry and say no. Fucking hell, why can't things be simple for once? Just for once, why can't things just fix themselves? Ron felt a shiver pass through him, and his breathing became shallow.

"Ron?" Blaise asked, and Ron felt a hand on his back. "Mate, you alright?"

"I'm fine…" Ron breathed out, a cold sweat in his armpits. I have to tell Ginny about my Chronic Stress, and she'll tell everyone else. That's just how she is. But if I don't do it, she'll just keep getting worse won't she? Ron loosened his tie and jerked at his collar, and that's when he felt someone's foot touch his foot. Daphne.

"Is this a 'stress moment'?" Pansy whispered, and Ron just nodded.

"It'll pass, just ignore it" Ron told them as he tried Pomfrey's breathing exercise. Deep breaths, Ron. Just breathe, and relax. Think of nothing but your food.

---

Thursday 23rd April, 1993 (Sanctuary – Morning Free Periods)

After spending another night coming up with ideas, Ron had come up with… nothing. Fuck. He wanted Ginny to get help, just like himself. At first he didn't want Pomfrey's help at all, but now he looked forward to their sessions. He would vent his basic problems and just feel lighter by the end of it all, and he wanted that for Ginny. But no matter what scenario he ran in his mind, he always came to the conclusion that he'd have to tell Ginny about his Chronic Stress.

Ron had decided not to tell his siblings in the end, mostly because he knew that they'd take it way too seriously and just become bothersome. Percy would baby him all day, Ginny and Luna would be devastated, and the twins would eventually start holding it over him. Ron's friends knew, and that was enough for Ron. Unlike with his friends, Ron already knew the reactions that his siblings would have. He had known them for far longer, and he had a very different dynamic with his siblings when compared to his friends.

"Shite…" Theo wheezed from the ground, and Ron came back to reality. He had convinced his friends to try some Dueling with the dummies, and he knew that they agreed this time because he had a stress moment last night.

"Theo, are you alright?" Tracey asked with a worried voice as she helped him up.

"No, damn that hurts…" Theo whined as he rubbed his right shoulder. If that was a Death-Eater Theo, you'd be dead.

"Try and dodge instead of blocking, mate" Ron advised with a polite voice, and Theo nodded. "Blaise, you're up." Blaise sighed, and he got up and took his position. "Remember, only try and disarm when you have a clear opportunity. Don't rush yourself." I learnt that the hard way… Three fucking Stinging Hexes at once, Merlin that hurt. Ron watched as Blaise started moving around the dummy, his eyes fixed on the dummy. Ron had realized that his friends were rather terrible at Dueling, and that only stressed him out even more. Not counting Millie, of course.

Theo was always too wary, and he'd start blocking out of panic. And then he'd get bogged down and start getting tired, which would result in him getting Hexed. Blaise would rush the fight in order to win quickly, and he'd make silly mistakes as a result. He'd lose his footing, or he'd miss his attack because he threw it out in a hurry. And then he'd get Hexed. Tracey would stand still and squeal whenever the dummies fired a Hex at her, and she'd take that Hex immediately. Pansy was actually scared of attacking the dummies, or just scared of them in general. Daphne tried her best, but she'd lose her patience when things didn't go her way. And that's when she'd start throwing out Curses wildly, missing almost all of them. And then, she'd get Hexed. Millie was actually quite good, and she wasn't afraid of physical contact. The burly girl had actually punched a dummy to the ground, much to Ron's pride and joy.

"Am I up next?" Daphne whispered, and Ron noticed that she had snuck up beside him.

"Yes" Ron replied, and she pouted miserably.

"Please, can I not go again?" Daphne whined. "I have sand in my hair, and I'm… I'm sweating" she blushed scarlet. Better sweating than dead in some shallow grave. Ron was about to berate her, but her pout pulled at his heartstrings. Give her an incentive instead. That's what Lord Greengrass would do, right?

"If you manage to disarm the dummy" Ron whispered. "Then I'll give you a present."

"A present?" Daphne's eyes gleamed golden for a moment, a smile replacing her pout. "What kind of present?"

"Take a guess" Ron smirked, and Daphne blushed a bit more.

"Fine" Daphne agreed, clearly hiding her glee.

"Oh shite" came Millie's voice, and Ron looked to see Blaise on the ground.

"Fuck me…" Blaise groaned as he clutched his ribs.

"Blaise, are you alright?" Ron asked, and Blaise gave him the bird from the ground. He's fine. "You're up next" Ron told Daphne, and she nodded and got in place.

"How do you take on four at once?" Theo asked Ron as he approached him.

"I don't" Ron admitted. "I can take on two, but even that's pretty hard." Unless I have my ring, then I could potentially take on four. "I tried fighting four of them, and you saw what that got me." Ron then saw Daphne dodging Hexes left and right, but she wasn't attacking back. She's lost control of the fight, dammit. Throw a fucking Spell, Daphne.

"Want to tell me what had you so worried last night?" Theo asked, and Ron shot a look at his other friends. They were all talking to Blaise about his latest fail, with Pansy fretting over him. He doesn't seem to mind it too much.

"I was thinking of my sister, Ginny" Ron admitted, and Theo waited for him to go on. "I want her to see Pomfrey, just like I am."

"Why?" Theo asked.

"You know why" Ron sighed, and Theo drew in a deep breath.

"The possession" Theo nodded in understanding. "That's a good idea I reckon, that is if it's affecting her."

"It is" Ron replied. "I know my sister, and she is not some… introvert. She's bothered, but she's too proud to admit it."

"Hmmm, sounds like someone that I know" Theo smirked, and Ron nudged him.

"Whatever" Ron smirked back.

"Are you going to ask her?" Theo asked.

"I would, but then I'd have to confess my diagnosis to her" Ron frowned as he watched Daphne miss a Curse. "I don't want to do that."

"I see" Theo said as he thought of something. "Wait, why do you have to do it?"

"Because I care?" Ron gave him an annoyed look.

"Not what I meant, you moron" Theo frowned slightly. "You said that Dumbledore asked you to see Pomfrey, right? Why not talk to Dumbledore about Ginny, and get him to ask her? If you tell him that you don't want Ginny to know that it was your idea, I'm sure he'd keep your involvement a secret. He likes you." Ron blinked, and then he blinked some more.

"That's… genius" Ron said slowly. "Blood hell, I've been fretting about this for almost three days now."

"You're welcome" Theo grinned. "Like I said, I'm the smart one between us."

"Just more conniving" Ron grinned back, and then he got serious. "Thanks Theo, I really appreciate it."

"Don't ruin my moment" Theo frowned a bit. "Sappy little bastard."

"Are you blushing?" Ron grinned, but then his attention went straight to Daphne. She missed her Disarming Charm, and the dummy hit her wand hand with a Stinging Hex.

"Ow!" Daphne screamed, and she immediately let go of her wand and tucked her right hand into her stomach. "Ow… Ow…"

"Stop!" Ron ordered, and the dummy stopped dead in its tracks. "Daphne, are you alright?" Ron asked as he approached her, and so did the girls.

"No" Daphne snapped, her eyes welling up. "That really hurts…" It's just a Stinging Hex, stop whining so much. No, don't be an arse. "Alright, the rest of you keep going. Daphne, come with me so I can see your hand." Daphne nodded, her hand still tucked into her stomach.

"Here" Tracey said as she picked up Daphne's wand, and handed it to Ron. Ron tucked it into his robes, and then he made his way over to the couches with Daphne in tow.

"Alright, show me your hand" Ron instructed as he sat her down in his favorite chair. Daphne showed him her right hand, and it had a tiny welt on it. The skin was slightly red, but it wouldn't bruise.

"It really hurts" Daphne complained, her eyes still misty. I've had worse from Ginny. "I don't want to go again." And there it is. Ron felt his annoyance flare up, but he kept himself in check.

"It's just a tiny welt, Daph" Ron assured her, making sure to sound sympathetic. "And it'll heal within a day, trust me." Daphne pouted miserably at that, her eyes getting wetter. "Don't give me that look, getting hit is part of training."

"Why are we even training?" Daphne whined. "None of the other students in Hogwarts do this, Ron." They should.

"I told you, it's for your own good" Ron said gently, and then he crouched in front of her.

"Because the Dark Lord will return?" Daphne sighed as she stared into his eyes.

"Yes, and it's only a matter of time" Ron replied. "Don't you want to be prepared for that day?"

"Ron, I'm not planning to join the vanguard" Daphne frowned. "I'm sure that father has something planned already, and he won't let us get caught up in any war." That is… the stupidest thing that she's ever said.

"Life is unpredictable, Daph" Ron told her. "And I'm not asking you to join the vanguard, I just want you all to be ready. Just in case things don't go as planned."

"Fine…" Daphne sighed again, she knew that she wasn't changing his mind. "Can I at least get my present?" She wants to be rewarded for failing? I don't think so.

"You lost to the dummy, Daph" Ron replied. "I said that you'd get a present for disarming it, which you didn't."

"What?" Daphne muttered, her eyes widening with disappointment. Ugh, the guilt. "Ron…"

"Stop" Ron whispered, her dejected look getting to him. And then his resolve shattered completely when she sniffled, her left hand covering her welt. Ron shot a quick look towards his other friends, and he saw that they were too busy with their training. Ron reached forward and took Daphne's injured hand, and he kissed her welt. "There, that's all you're getting." Daphne blushed and smiled a little, her eyes darting to his lips.

"But we haven't kissed in ages" she whispered. "It's been thirteen days…"

"You've been keeping count?" Ron blinked, and she flushed red.

"No" she denied immediately, her eyes shooting elsewhere. Wow, she totally has been. Ron didn't want to smile and make her feel embarrassed, so he instead swallowed his amusement.

"Tonight?" Ron asked, his stomach feeling weightless.

"Tonight" she smiled widely.

"Good… Now let's get back to training" Ron said, and her smile died immediately. Did she seriously think that I'd let her off the hook?

---

Thursday 23rd April, 1993 (Outside Dumbledore's Office – Right before Lunch)

Ron waited patiently in front of the stone gargoyle, he didn't know the password. That, and the fact that Dumbledore was probably teaching a class right now. Ron figured that he'd wait here in the hope of Dumbledore coming to his Office before Lunch, and if he didn't, then Ron would come back after classes. While he waited, Ron decided to pass the time by practicing some more Wandless Magic. He took out his golden Hogwarts pin from his pant pocket, and he placed it on the ground in front of him.

"Wingardium Leviosa" Ron chanted clearly, and he focused his gloved palm at the pin. He instantly felt the odd weight in between his fingers, and the pin levitated slowly. It felt like his hand was being pushed down by an invisible force, and Ron battled against it. The pin floated up, and Ron quickly broke the Spell and caught it. "Damn, that's so hard…" Ron sighed, but he was pleased nonetheless. He had been practicing all month, and he could at least levitate a tiny pin now. That was progress… Who am I kidding? Dumbledore moved every table and chair in the class with just a flick of his wrist. The Heir sent me flying without so much as a second thought. But hey… It took me a full month and a bit to levitate a tiny pin. Fuck. Ron pocketed his pin, an annoyed look on his face. I bet the Entity is laughing at me. Fuck you, you twat!

"Ronald?" came Dumbledore's voice, and Ron turned to see the Headmaster walking towards him. He had his usual kind smile in place, and his eyes were twinkling as usual. "What brings you here? Are you skipping classes?"

"I have my free periods on Thursday mornings, Headmaster" Ron replied.

"Ah, of course" Dumbledore nodded. "Forgive me, but I am rather swamped and can't keep track of many things."

"Too old to teach?" Ron joked, and Dumbledore laughed.

"Indeed, my boy" Dumbledore's eyes danced in merriment. "Add onto it my other duties, and the tutoring that I am giving the fifth and seventh years, I am simply far too busy these days." Other duties? Oh wait, isn't he in charge of a whole lot of Ministry stuff too? Like the Wizengamot, and so on? "Cockroach Cluster" Dumbledore said the password, and the gargoyle moved aside. "Come, we can speak in my Office." Ron nodded, and he followed Dumbledore up. They entered the Office, and Ron took an empty seat in front of Dumbledore's clawed desk. Fawkes was dozing off, and Dumbledore poured himself and Ron some tea. "Here you are, just what I need to pick me up" Dumbledore chuckled as he put a cup of tea in front of Ron.

"Thank you, Headmaster" Ron accepted the tea, and he took a sip of it. Could use some sugar, to be honest.

"Sugar?" Dumbledore asked after he sipped from his own cup, and Ron nodded.

"Thanks" Ron said as he put the cup on the table. Dumbledore put three teaspoons of sugar in his own tea, and Ron settled for two.

"Now, what can I do for you?" Dumbledore asked, a kind smile on his face.

"I wanted to ask a favor of you, Headmaster" Ron started, and Dumbledore nodded. "I've been seeing Madam Pomfrey ever since school re-commenced, and it's been going great."

"That is wonderful news, Ronald" Dumbledore beamed.

"Yes, it is" Ron agreed, and then he re-started in asking his favor. "I feel a lot less… burdened after our talks, and she's even taught me a few exercises that help me stay calm. And since she was able to help me, I thought that she could also help my sister. Ginny, that is. Not Luna."

"I see" Dumbledore rubbed his chin. "Does Ginevra need her help?" You're the Headmaster, you should already know that.

"She has been closed off, Headmaster" Ron admitted, and Dumbledore leaned forward a bit. "She doesn't talk much, and I feel like she doesn't want to be back here again. She blames herself for what happened this year, I know that for certain."

"Poor girl" Dumbledore sighed. "What do you need from me, Ronald?"

"I was kind of hoping that you could ask her to see Madam Pomfrey?" Ron smiled sheepishly. "Like how you did with me."

"Why not ask her yourself?" Dumbledore smiled in a sagely manner.

"I don't want her to know about… some stuff relating to me" Ron admitted slowly, and Dumbledore nodded in understanding. "If I ask her, she'll question me constantly. And when I lie, she'll be so put off that she'll deny help just to spite me. That's just how she is…"

"Very well, I will ask her when I see her next" Dumbledore agreed.

"Thank you, Headmaster" Ron sighed from relief, and then he began drinking his tea again.

"How is your training with Wandless Magic going?" Dumbledore asked. "I know that we haven't spoken of it since we got you started, but I hope that you've made progress."

"I sort of have" Ron admitted. "I can levitate the Hogwarts pin, but it's not easy. And I can't hold it in place for very long, just a few seconds at most."

"That is quite impressive for someone your age, Ronald" Dumbledore assured him, he could detect a hint of frustration in Ronald's voice. "I do however, suggest that you practice the Summoning Charm first. It requires a moment of focus, rather than keeping up your focus as the Levitation Charm demands. Build up your body's tolerance in regards to Wandless Magic, and then build upon that."

"I see" Ron nodded. "I completely forgot that my body isn't used to being a channel for Magic. Is that why I feel like there's some invisible force acting against me?"

"Indeed, it is" Dumbledore explained. "Your muscles are not used to your Magic circulating through them, and so they seize up. Your fingers no doubt feel like they're being crushed by something heavy, but that is just them tensing up. You will get used to it."

"How long did it take you?" Ron asked, and Dumbledore chuckled.

"I'd rather not say, Ronald" Dumbledore replied, but Ron just stared at him. "I was able to lift tables by the age of fifteen."

"And when did you start?" Ron asked.

"When I was fourteen" Dumbledore admitted, his eyes twinkling.

"Wow… a year?" Ron muttered. "I thought that it took years… That's what you told me."

"I was… a special case" Dumbledore smiled.

"You mean you are Albus Dumbledore, greatest wizard since Merlin himself" Ron sighed. I don't know why I even thought that I could compete with him. He's one in a million, whereas I'm just… normal. Dumbledore was about to reply to Ron's statement, but the school bell went off.

"Ah, lunch" Dumbledore smiled widely. "I don't know about you Ronald, but I am simply famished. Come, help an old man navigate this overly large castle." Dumbledore and Ron then both got up and left the Office, with Ron walking just a little behind Dumbledore.

"What's the strongest Spell that you know?" Ron broke the silence, and Dumbledore chuckled merrily. It was a serious question, I want to learn it.

"I can't share all my secrets, Ronald" Dumbledore replied.

"Is it super destructive?" Ron went on. "Could it destroy this whole castle?"

"I would never tell you even if I knew such a Spell" Dumbledore replied.

"Why?" Ron asked.

"Because that would put me out of a job" Dumbledore chuckled, and Ron found himself smiling. He has a sense of humor, which is pretty neat considering how powerful he is.

"What if I found you another job?" Ron asked. "Would you tell me then?"

"If it payed better, then why not" Dumbledore replied. Time to find him a job… "Tell me something, why do you wish to learn such a Spell?"

"I can't share all my secrets, Headmaster" Ron grinned, and Dumbledore laughed at that.

"Touché" Dumbledore responded, his eyes no doubt twinkling. They both entered the Great Hall, and most of the students had already piled in. "Enjoy your lunch Ronald, and I promise to speak with your sister. And I will keep your involvement hidden."

"Thank you, Headmaster" Ron smiled widely. "Enjoy your lunch as well." Ron then parted from the old wizard, and he made his way towards his friends. Merlin, I hope Ginny agrees to see Pomfrey.

---

Thursday 23rd April, 1993 (Sanctuary – After Dinner)

Ron had used the Disillusionment Charm to sneak off to the Sanctuary after Dinner, and now he was waiting for Daphne to join him. They had agreed to meet up tonight, and Merlin be willing, kiss each other again. It embarrassed Ron greatly with how giddy he was at the prospect of kissing Daphne after so long, but he pushed that embarrassment down in order to just enjoy her company. He deserved some nice things happening to him once in a while, didn't he? And this is a great fucking thing! Ron was currently sitting in his favorite chair, and he was grinning at the cozy fire. His excitement increased tenfold when he heard the door open, and then it was closed by some nearly-invisible force. And then, Daphne undid her Disillusionment Charm.

"Finally" Ron smiled widely, and she smiled back. Though her smile was… kind of mischievous. Ron decided to ignore it, maybe it was just the lighting. "Did anyone see you?"

"Nope" Daphne skipped over, her mischievous smile still in place. "I told them that I was going to bed early, and then I snuck out with the Disillusionment Charm. Tell me, could you see me?"

"Sort of, but only because I was looking for you" Ron replied as Daphne stopped right in front of him.

"I'm so happy that you're already sitting in your favorite chair, like always" Daphne hummed, and Ron blinked.

"Okaaay…" Ron drawled, his smile faltering a bit. "So… Are we going to… you know?" Daphne leaned forward at that, and she gave him a long kiss. Her lips were soft as always, and he could feel that she was smiling a bit. But then she jerked back, and Ron just blinked in confusion. That confusion increased when he saw that she had nicked his wand from his robe pocket. "Daphne? What are you doing? Give me back my wand." Ron tried to get up, but his arse was just stuck to the seat. "What the…?"

"Hahahaha!" Daphne cackled as she pocketed his wand, and Ron's face turned horror-stricken.

"What did you do?" Ron asked, panic setting in. "Daphne?!"

"I thought of it after we agreed to meet up" Daphne wheezed. "After you ran off to meet with Dumbledore, I cast a Sticking Charm on your chair!"

"What the fuck?" Ron muttered, and then he shifted in his seat. He tried to get up, but the chair held him in place.

"And now that I got my kiss, goodnight Ron" Daphne turned and began to leave, all the while cackling like some mad-woman.

"WHAT?!" Ron yelled after her, his voice panic-stricken. "You can't leave me here! Daphne!"

"You're a smart guy Ron, I'm sure you'll figure something out!" Daphne hollered.

"I need my wand!" Ron called, but she just left the room. The moment the door closed, Ron let out a frustrated yell. "DAMN YOU, GREENGRASS!" Fucking hell, she got me really good. Ron slumped into his chair, and he had to fight the urge to smile. Ugh, I can't even get mad at her for this. It's brilliant. But she better come back and help me, or I swear to Merlin I'll get her back in public. Ron tried to free himself again, but it was futile. His arse was glued to the chair, and that was that. So Ron instead stopped struggling, and he waited for Daphne to come back. After almost five minutes of waiting, panic started creeping into his brain again. "Fucking hell, she really left me here didn't she?"

"Indeed, Champion" came a horrifying voice, and Ron's blood froze. "This is a good opportunity for us to have a talk."

"A talk?" Ron muttered, his heart beating faster. And then, he felt cold, dead tendrils slithering all over his body. "Get off! Get the fuck off me!" Ron yelled as he began jerking in his seat, but the tendrils tightened and held him still. He felt one wrap around his neck, and it squeezed his windpipe. "Stop…" Ron choked, his teeth clenching and his eyes shutting tightly. "I can't… breathe…"

---

The Dream World

Ron found himself on all fours, doing his best to breathe. Ron coughed loudly, and he drew in deep breaths that made him cough again. He slowly looked up, and he realized that he was in the courtyard of the Dream Hogwarts again. And right in front of him was Bill, his eyes blood crimson and toad-like. He was just staring at Ron, his terrifying eyes studying Ron with subtle disgust.

"You arsehole…" Ron coughed again as he felt his throat with his left hand. "Why? What do you want?"

"We wanted to speak with you, and so we have summoned you here" the Entity (Bill) replied.

"So you can just summon me here?" Ron slowly stood up. "How? Every other time I've been here, I was unconscious out in the real world." The Entity grinned maliciously at that, and it raised its arms by its sides.

"Look" the Entity laughed, and Ron looked around. Hogwarts was… the same. But then Ron noticed something off, there were cracks everywhere.

"What the fuck? Why is it damaged? Isn't this supposed to be my mind?" Ron asked as he looked around to see even more cracks. They were barely noticeable, but once you saw them, you couldn't help but notice them. "Did you do this?" Ron glared at the Entity, and it laughed again.

"No, this all your doing Champion" the Entity grinned, its dagger-sharp teeth on full display. "We warned you of the allures, but you would not listen."

"These cracks… are from them?" Ron asked slowly, a sense of dread filling his heart. "What do they mean?"

"They mean that we have more freedom than ever before" the Entity gloated. "See when your mind was damaged, so were the shackles that bind us here. They can never truly be broken until your task is complete, but we now have more freedom than ever before."

"What does… that mean…?" Ron's eyes widened, the Entity's 'happy' voice was anything but pleasant. The Entity just grinned, and then it snapped its fingers. Ron heard a disgusting cracking sound, and then he felt a ghastly amount of agony shoot up his right leg. Ron screamed so loudly that he thought he was going to tear open his throat, but he kept screaming until he was on the ground and writhing in pain. "Fuck! FUCK! MY FUCKING LEG!" Ron screamed, his teeth clenching together painfully. The Entity snapped its fingers again, and the pain stopped immediately. Ron was left crying on the floor, still clutching his right thigh.

"Get up" the Entity spat out, but Ron couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Why…?" Ron sobbed. "What… did… I do…?" Thick tears rolled down his cheeks, and he let out another sob. He suddenly felt the Entity grab him by his hair, and it yanked him up. Ron winced from the pain as he tried to fight the Entity off, but Bill's angry face jarred Ron.

"Let's talk" Bill sneered in disgust, and something in Ron just snapped. Ron punched Bill right in the face, but the Entity's face didn't even budge. It was like punching a stone wall, and Ron grit his teeth as pain shot up throughout his right hand. "Really, Champion? Where are your manners?" the Entity laughed, and then it punched Ron with its free hand. Everything went blurry instantly, but his mind put together the fact that he was sent barreling across the Courtyard. Everything was just hazy after that, and Ron stared up at the beautiful lights in the sky. He could feel his own blood dribbling down his chin and the side of his face, but there was no pain. The Entity snapped its fingers again, and Ron felt life re-ignite in his chest. He touched his face, but there was no blood on it anymore. "Had enough?"

"Fuck…" Ron groaned as he stood back up, his mind still putting things together. "What do you want?" Ron asked with a strained voice, his tears still leaking out. Bill just smiled, clearly pleased by Ron's fear and pain.

"We want to talk to you about the Future" the Entity replied, and Ron blinked rapidly. "It is time for us to give you some much needed clarity."

"Clarity?" Ron muttered. "Why now? Also, why are you suddenly acting up? You've never been so involved, but recently… Recently you've been showing up more and more… Why? How can you hurt Fawkes? Can you hurt everyone around me?"

"Be silent" the Entity hissed, and Ron's mouth closed by itself. His lips were stuck together, and Ron clawed at them in panic. "Now listen to us." Ron looked at the Entity, and he fought to stop himself from panicking even more. "War is coming Champion, as you already know. We draw ever nearer to it, and we need you to understand your role. The Lord of Serpents must die, be it by your hand or another's, it matters not. His death is, and will be, your only focus." Ron shook his head, and then he pointed to his lips. Undo this! The Entity waved its hand, and Ron's lips finally parted.

"His death?" Ron gasped, having one's mouth closed shut was not a fun experience. "I get that, I want him dead… Believe me. But my main focus is to protect the people that I care about, and you already know that."

"Then you will fail, as you always do" the Entity spat, a look of disgust marring Bill's face.

"Why?!" Ron yelled. "You told me that you can see the Future constantly, remember? You said that I've been doing this fucking shite over and over again, remember? Then why not just give me the answers? If you can see the Future, then why not just tell me everything that I need to know?!" He had never felt so angry or frustrated in his life, the Entity was clearly an idiot.

"Your understanding of Time is… pathetically mortal."

"What the hell does that mean?" Ron asked in an exasperated tone.

"Tell us Champion, if you knew that you were going to die by falling down the Moving Staircase… What would you do?" Ron just blinked in confusion, but the Entity just glared at him for an answer.

"Not use… the Moving Staircase?" Ron asked slowly.

"Exactly. Once you know that an event will take place, it will not take place. Your mere knowledge of it changes the Future, because you will do everything in your limited power to change that Future. Time is not linear. It is not fixed in place. It is a river, and it flows by its own rules. If we tell you how to act, then the Future that we just informed you on is made moot."

"What…?" Ron muttered, and then it hit him. "The visions that you've shown me… They won't happen because I've seen them…"

"Yes, they are no longer relevant. You know that they are going to happen, so you've already started taking steps to prevent them. And therefore, you have already undone them."

"Then Fred… Fred won't die?" Ron's lips twitched upwards, his brother was going to live.

"In the current Timeline, no… But your brother Bill, and your precious Lovegoods, will perish."

"What?" Ron blinked. The Entity's eyes suddenly rolled back into its head, and then they came back down.

"The Future has changed again. Now do you understand?" Ron thought about it, and he took a seat on the cold stoned floor. It made sense in an odd sort of way. If Ron knew that something bad was going to happen, then Ron would no doubt work to change it. And his actions would create a new Future.

"So the Future… is constantly changing?" Ron asked the Entity. "And you see it changing constantly?"

"No, only when you act to change what we show you. The Future only changes when you learn of its trajectory."

"So if you told me everything that was going to happen, all of that information would be… pointless."

"Yes, to an extent. Every time you act on the information that we give you, the Future changes. We would have to constantly supply you with information, and that would cause… permanent damage to your Universe."

"How?" Ron asked. "What permanent damage?"

"Our power is not something that is meant for mortals. Time HAS to be beyond your control, this is the way that Creation was built. But you are an anomaly within Time because you possess our power. You can change the Future because unlike any other mortal in this Universe, you can see it. Truly see it."

"What about Seers?" Ron asked, and the Entity scoffed.

"They see what She wishes for them to see. Their 'Prophecies' are self-fulfilling, whereas we give you the power to truly bend the Laws of Creation. But bend the Laws too much, and you risk shattering them, along with your reality."

"She? Who the fuck is She?" Ron asked. "When do I meet Her?"

"When She deems it necessary, we suppose. She has done well to hide Herself from our eyes, like the coward that She is." Ron's head spun from all of this information, and he chuckled dryly at the notion of looking forward to kissing Daphne tonight.

"Oh fuck…" Ron rubbed his face with his hands, and then he fell onto his back. "Fucking hell… Ever since I was eight, I've been fighting to keep Fred alive. And now you're telling me that it won't happen because I found out about it? What was the point of showing me his fucking death then? Or any of their deaths?"

"Tell us Champion, what was your reaction to your brother's demise?"

"Um… Horror, fear, panic…" Ron muttered, how the fuck did he end up in such a fucked up situation?

"No, try again."

"I started studying… Exercising… I started pushing myself…"

"Yes, you see it now don't you? Every vision that we have shown you has had a different effect on you. With each vision, you grow more resolute."

"But the Future that you show me is changed the moment you show it to me…"

"True, but you change along with it Champion. When we saw your acts of debauchery at that… 'Party', we showed you Pansy Parkinson's death. That pushed you to start training harder, and to involve your friends as well."

"My friends? I thought that you didn't care about them?" Ron asked as he stood back up.

"We don't" the Entity hissed, its face contorting with rage. "But armies are made of soldiers, and their involvement improves the chances of you succeeding for once. Even if they are just lambs for the slaughter."

"My friends are not meat shields for your fucking plans!" Ron yelled. "You evil, smug cunt!"

"Careful, Champion" the Entity sneered. "Or we will flay you alive." Ron blinked at that, a sudden fear gripping his stomach. They were both silent for a bit, but then another thought occurred to Ron.

"The Cycles…" Ron whispered, and then he faced the Entity. "My previous Cycles, you remember them don't you?"

"Yes, we do."

"Then you can tell me about them?" Ron asked quickly. "You can tell me how to kill the Dark Lord, can't you? I mean, one of my previous Cycles must've learned something useful. And you won't be telling me the Future, you'd just be telling me how to kill him."

"Not yet, but soon."

"What?" Ron blinked. "What?! Why?! Tell me now so that I can prepare! So that I can tell Dumbledore, or any other cunt that wants to listen!"

"Do you think that we haven't tried this before? Because we have. Sixteen times we've tried this tactic, and sixteen times you have failed."

"What do you mean by that?" Ron asked.

"Certain things must happen before the Lord of Serpents can be destroyed, things that we will not allow you to change. Things that you ALWAYS change!"

"What things?" Ron asked quickly.

"His return is one of them. If we show you how to kill him now, then his soul will become a wraith upon this world. Your Cycle will fail because Death cannot claim a wraith. The Lord of Serpents must die completely, and for that to happen, he must live once again."

"Then I won't kill him just yet, I'll wait for him to return" Ron retorted, and the Entity laughed cruelly.

"We have heard you speak those words before, and you will not fool us again. You, as an individual, are the weakest of your kind. Insecure, weak-willed, and prone to fantasies of being a hero… The Champion" the Entity spat, and Ron flinched from the sheer hatred in its terrifying voice. "The moment we tell you of his weakness, you will act on it. Like some petty child that wants to be praised by its parents, you will cause a bigger mess than before. You have never shown restraint. Your obsession with being seen as some hero has always blinded you, and you fail your Cycles as a result."

"I… don't understand…" Ron responded slowly.

"Cycle Eighty-Three… We showed you his weakness in your third year, and you being you, started hunting. Not only did you get caught, but you got killed in the process of destroying something far beyond your power. The Lord of Serpents learned that his secret was no longer safe, and so he became even more paranoid. Everyone in that Cycle paid the price for your lack of restraint. Sixteen times we have seen this happen, and we will not allow you to ruin THIS promising Cycle."

"What? Can you at least try and make some sense for once?" Ron asked, his temper flaring at the Entity's hurtful words. I'm not like that. I'm not… "What do you mean I 'started hunting'? Hunting what?" The Entity blinked, and then it glared at Ron.

"Never again, Champion."

"Then what the fuck was the point of dragging me here?" Ron asked.

"To tell you of how Time works, how it truly works. Your kind may be able to tamper with Time, but they cannot change it. They will forever be slaves to Time, but you are exempt from that. You are able to change the Future because of us. Remember that."

"Because you being in me makes me an 'anomaly within Time'…" Ron summarized, a cold shiver passing through him. "That can't be a good thing…" Ron missed the Entity smiling cruelly at him, the Champion didn't understand what being an anomaly truly meant.

"Here is some parting advice, Champion" the Entity controlled its features. "Go to the Chamber of Secrets. Find a fang from the dead Basilisk, and keep it safely hidden away. And take your servant with you."

"Huh?" Ron blinked.

"Oh, and if you dare tell Albus Dumbledore anything JUST YET… We will make sure that you live long enough to know what his entrails taste like. Do not trust that man. He will undo our work." Ron swallowed thickly, his fear of telling others was true all along.

"Dumbledore is… the greatest wizard alive…" Ron stated with a scared look.

"He is but a man, and like all men, he is not above making mistakes. And his mistakes have caused us several Cycles. A man like him should not be trusted with the power to bend the Laws of Creation, he will cause more damage than the Lord of Serpents himself. Now leave… We are done with you for now."

"Wait…" Ron said quickly, and the Entity clenched its jaw and shook with anger. "Can you hurt my friends through me? Like you hurt Fawkes?"

"Yes." Ron lost the strength in his legs, and he fell on his arse.

"Don't… Please…"

"We will not, unless you give us a reason to. Remember, your only duty in this world is to destroy the Lord of Serpents. Goodbye Champion, we will speak again soon."

---

Friday 24th April, 1993 (Sanctuary – Morning)

"Ron? Ron, wake up" came a familiar voice, and then someone shook Ron hard. Ron's eyes opened, and he looked up groggily. Where am I? Where's the Entity? "Merlin Ron, I'm so sorry…" Ron blinked his eyes clear, and he felt pain shoot up his back. "I thought that you'd call Marty and have him undo my Sticking Charm, I'm so sorry…"

"Daphne?" Ron muttered as his vision cleared, and he saw her hovering in front of him.

"I'm so, so sorry" Daphne said again, and Ron tried to put everything together. She left me stuck in this chair, and then the Entity took me. What time is it?

"Is it morning?" Ron asked, and he finally noticed that Daphne was teary-eyed and sniffling.

"Yes… I'm sorry for leaving you here like this" Daphne apologized again, and Ron sighed tiredly.

"My back hurts…" Ron moaned, and then he stood up on shaky legs. Daphne quickly moved to help support him, and he put some of his weight on her.

"I thought that you'd call Marty, I'm so stupid" Daphne sniffled. Honestly, I don't even care about her prank. The Entity... I need to think about its words. It wanted me to go to the Chamber, and grab a fang from the dead Basilisk? And it wanted my servant there? Marty? What the fuck? And all of this Future shite… Merlin, what the actual fuck?

"Where are the others?" Ron asked as they both made their way out. "And what time is it?"

"I woke up early to catch you before your morning run" Daphne replied, her voice choked up. "I wanted to… tease you about… It doesn't matter… I saw Blaise and Theo. They told me that you never came back from the Sanctuary… that you had probably slept there. And I'm so sorry."

"Stop apologizing" Ron managed a weak smile. "It was a pretty good prank…" Daphne tensed at that, and she sniffled loudly.

"Why aren't you furious?" Daphne asked meekly. Because I finally got some answers, even if they were confusing and terrifying. My ability to see the Future means something entirely different to what I imagined. Everything that I've worked for… Saving Fred, saving Pansy… All of that doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is me becoming stronger. That was the point of my visions, to get me to become stronger. "Ron, why aren't you angry with me? You should be angry…"

"I'm just bloody hungry… and sore" Ron forced a chuckle. "Don't worry about it Daph, I'm fine…" I'm so fucked.

---

Friday 24th April, 1993 (Library – After Classes)

Ron's day had been slow, and filled with grim thoughts. He had thought about the Entity's words, and he had come to a horrifying realization. The Entity not controlled his life, but it had been doing so from the day that it 'possessed' Ron. Every vision was a manipulation to make Ron act a certain way, and like some puppet, Ron had always acted in a manner that the Entity had desired. Forget the fucking Sorting Ceremony, the Entity controlled Ron's very values. Ron's mission was a lie, Fred had been saved on the very day Ron saw his death. But the Entity never told Ron that until now. It understood Ron better than Ron understood himself, and so it showed him the Future whenever it needed him to act in a certain way. But the worst part about this was the fact that Ron understood why it did this to him. It had spent Merlin knows how many Cycles within him, or versions of himself, and so it knew that Ron was… who he was. There was truth to its harsh words, and that hurt more than anything.

Ron's actions so far were all planned by the Entity, and he had given them a great deal of thought. By saving Pandora, he had managed to get his own wand and new clothes. By saving the Trio, he had managed to acquire friends within Gryffindor. By catching Pettigrew, Ron had made an ally in Sirius Black. Ron's fame and influence came from these 'achievements', and they had all been a manipulation. Sure, he had put in the hard work. But it still felt… hollow.

He had spent the entire day in his own head, and the more he thought about his shitty life, the more tired he felt. He had had six separate stress moments today, four of which his friends had spotted. His head was throbbing, his eyes felt heavy, and his body just felt lifeless. He felt lifeless… And yet, he wouldn't just give up. Despite how he felt about himself right now, despite how much he hated his own life right now, the Entity had been right. Ron wanted to be the hero. He wanted to save his family, and his friends. He wanted to win, and he couldn't do that without the Entity. And the Entity couldn't succeed without Ron. They were both stuck together, cursed by that 'She' bitch. It wanted the Dark Lord dead, and Ron wanted to protect the people that mattered to him.

"Ron?" came Hermione's voice, and Ron shook his head clear.

"Yes?" Ron asked, his eyes feeling heavier than before. I bet her life is so simple. She studies, eats, and then sleeps. Rinse and repeat. While I have some demon's hand up my arse…

"Ron, if you don't want to study then you shouldn't be here" Hermione frowned. They were currently having their study group, the one that had people from every house. It sadly hadn't increased in size, but Ron didn't give a fuck about that right now.

"Hermione, he looks exhausted" Harry interjected, a sympathetic look on his face. "Give him a break, will you?" Everyone on the table seemed to agree, especially Millie and Daphne.

"Then he should get some sleep" Hermione countered, and Ron felt… annoyed by her. He didn't know why, but he felt the need to grab her by the throat and wring the life out of her. Why did she get to live such a carefree life? Why was everyone around him just studying, playing, and enjoying themselves while he was stuck preparing for a war? Why me? And why the fuck can't I tell Dumbledore?!

"Hermione, stop being annoying" Lavender frowned, and Hermione looked extremely offended. Both Neville and Harry exchanged worried looks, something that made Ron sigh loudly. I'm causing this.

"Hermione's right" Ron said as he stood up tiredly. "I'm tired, and I should get some sleep." Ron then went to leave, but Neville called out to him.

"Mate, your books…" Neville reminded, and Ron turned around and saw them sitting there. Fuck. Ron walked over and grabbed his books, and he just ignored the worried looks that everyone was giving him. Ron then made his way out of the library, his eyes meeting Madam Pince's on the way out. She frowned at him, and he averted his gaze. Even she hates me. As he stepped into the corridor, Ron stopped and leaned against the wall. He could feel another stress moment coming on, why was everything so fucked up?

"Fuck it" Ron muttered, and he reached into his robes and took out his vial of Calming Draught. Having one won't be so bad, just this once. What is the point of keeping them with me if I can't have one in moments like these? Ron opened the vial, and he drank it down.

---

AUTHOR'S NOTES: And there it is! Second year didn't exactly end as promised, but that's because I wanted to add this conversation with the Entity in the Holidays. But it didn't seem right being put there, Ron needs someone to hear him out. Someone to fully vent to, someone... that is made of leather.

Next update will end second year, and Ron will be up to a few things. Harry will have a POV, or two. Draco tries to regain some standing within Slytherin, much to the new triumvirates irritation. It's a shame that they don't know that Ron isn't in the mood for their games.

See you on Wednesday (Maybe Thursday, depends on my week to be honest).