AUTHOR'S NOTES: Chapter 55 is here, and I didn't still didn't finish second year... RIP! Some of third years plot has come up a little earlier, mostly because I really hate time-skips. Ron is not an inactive character in this story, so time-skips make me feel like I'm not writing him right. He's always doing something, and the people around are always doing something. The main plot, sub-plots, and characters are something that I always put my very soul into, and having a large time jump just feels like they're on hiatus or something. Anyway, I'm rambling.
Please enjoy the Chapter!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter, and I do not intend to make any money off of this. Harry Potter is the intellectual property of J. K. Rowling , and I take no credit of it whatsoever.
I was also inspired by Demon Eyes Laharl's: THE RED KNIGHT! and also from Random-Fruitcake04's: CHOICES! I hope you check them out as well because they are genuinely very good stories.
Fate
Chapter 55 – A Puppet No Longer
Harry Potter's POV
Friday 24th April, 1993 (Library – After Classes)
The study group was over, and truth be told, Harry was rather happy about it. He didn't want to be here, he wanted to be out on the Pitch with the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. He was simply here because Hermione had kept insisting that he needed to study more, and Neville had urged him to listen to her. And yet, some part of him was rather disappointed with how the study group had ended. Hermione had scolded Ron, who had then just walked off, and now everyone was annoyed at Hermione.
Ron had not been… Ron. There were no jokes, or any witty remarks. He was just there, and he was almost an eyesore today. Ron was paler than usual, so pale that even his freckles were hard to see, and he looked like he hadn't slept in days. He wasn't studying, or helping the others study. He was just… there. Was Harry worried about Ron? Yes, of course he was. They were finally getting back to normal, sort of. And Harry knew that something big was happening with Ron, mostly because he had seen how distraught all the adults were after their chat with Ron at The Burrow. Harry had kept that bit of information to himself, he didn't want to go around spreading Ron's business at school. Harry had no intention of risking their friendship again, and so he had even kept this from his best friends.
But now one of his best friends, Hermione, had caused the study group to disband earlier than usual. Not to mention that she was now fuming because Lavender had told her to 'stop being annoying', which if Harry was being honest, he somewhat agreed with. Harry completely understood where Hermione was coming from, he really did. She seemed to have trouble communicating her intent, Harry and Neville had learned that the hard way. She was definitely not trying to antagonize anyone, and she was definitely worried about Ron. But the way she had gone about telling him that was… poor. She had sounded like a scolding mother, rather than a concerned friend, which was often the case when Hermione showed her concern. And if there was an actual tinge of annoyance at Ron in her voice, than Harry understood that as well.
Hermione was the one who created this study group, and she had created it for the victims of the Basilisk attacks. But Ron had effectively taken over the group, and he had shunted her off to the side. Ron had turned this group into… something. Something that clearly benefitted him in some way that the Trio couldn't figure out, and that had hurt Hermione. She didn't admit her hurt, because that was who she was, but Harry and Neville could see it. When they had overheard Lavender and Parvati discussing joining 'Ron's study group', Hermione's face had twisted in a horrible way, and she had just run off to cry. All the while Ron, who was completely oblivious to her feelings, didn't even give her a second thought as he kept adding more and more people into the group. And the people that had joined up clearly preferred Ron's method of teaching over hers, including Colin Creevey who was their fellow Gryffindor.
"Mate, you want to play some Exploding Snap?" Neville asked, and Harry shook his head. They were back in their dorm, and Harry was looking for his Quidditch gear.
"Some other time, Nev" Harry replied, and Neville shrugged with an easy smile. "I want to go out flying for a bit, maybe practice with Oliver a bit more. What are you going to do?"
"I guess I'll go and look for Hermione" Neville sighed, and Harry felt a pang of guilt. Maybe I should help him? She was horribly upset with how things ended, and with how everyone left just after Ron did. "I know that look Harry, don't worry about it. I'll find her, and talk to her myself. She won't feel ganged up on if it's just me." Harry gave Neville an apologetic smile, but Neville just waved a dismissive hand.
"Thanks Neville, I think that she's a bit angry with me right now" Harry admitted.
"Well, you brought it on yourself" Neville chuckled. "You shouldn't fight her so much when she just wants you to study a bit. You know that she means well, don't you?"
"I do…" Harry rolled his eyes. "But she can be…" Forceful? Annoying? Ugh… what's the proper word?
"Overzealous?" Neville asked, and Harry nodded fervently. "Yeah, I get that. I just think about why she's doing it, and it makes it easier to deal with."
"I'll try that out myself" Harry promised.
"I'd best be off" Neville grunted as he hoped off of his bed. "Where do you reckon she's run off to?" And then they both grinned.
"The library" they both said together, breaking into light chuckling.
"She probably went right back after everything" Neville shook his head, a smile on his face. "I'll go and talk to her, hopefully she won't hurl a book at me." Neville left at that, and Harry found his Quidditch gear crumpled by his bedside. Harry picked it up, and on instinct, he took a sniff.
"Ugh… God, this needs a wash" Harry face twisted a bit. But I really want to play Quidditch right now… Bugger it, no one will notice it. Harry quickly changed into his gear, he grabbed his Nimbus 2001, and he made his way out of Gryffindor Tower. As Harry was walking towards the moving staircase, he felt something move past him. Harry stopped immediately, and he looked around with a curious look. What was that? A breeze? Inside the castle? Harry looked around some more, but he didn't see anything. Odd… Harry began making his way down towards the Pitch, and once he entered the Courtyard, he spotted the twins walking towards him.
"Harry" Fred greeted with a smile.
"Fancy seeing you here" George added on.
"And in your Quidditch gear no less" they both said together. Harry noticed that they were simply wearing their school uniforms, rather untidily as always.
"I thought that the team was practicing?" Harry asked, and the twins sniggered.
"Wood landed himself in the Hospital Wing" Fred chuckled.
"How? What happened?" Harry asked, he rather liked Oliver.
"Just the usual, someone Cursed him" George laughed. How is that funny?
"Why are you laughing about that?" Harry frowned, and the twins laughed a little more loudly. "It could've been the Slytherin Team for all we know." It probably was, and it was probably Malfoy's idea. Stupid git.
"Oh, it wasn't" Fred grinned. "Oliver tried asking out a Ravenclaw, and her boyfriend was none too pleased."
"And now Wood's right arse cheek is twice the size of his left one" George added, and the twins started sniggering again. Wow… Poor Oliver.
"Isn't Cursing someone because they like your partner sort of… cruel?" Harry sighed. "It just seems like an excessive reaction."
"Never been in love, eh?" Fred wiggled his eyebrows, and Harry found himself flushing.
"The heart can make a man do crazy things, Harry" George said in a sing-song voice. Yeah, I'm sure it can…
"Well, I guess I'll go practice alone" Harry sighed, and the twins shrugged their shoulders.
"Don't be upset, mate" Fred smiled sympathetically.
"It's not like there's a Quidditch Cup on the line" George added on, and then both twins sauntered off.
"Quidditch isn't about some Cup" Harry muttered to himself, and then he made his way towards the Pitch. Quidditch meant more to Harry than just some competitive sport, it was his connection to his late father. James Potter was the Seeker for the Gryffindor Team, and Harry felt extremely proud to hold his father's position on the team. They were connected, even if his father was no longer… here. Quidditch connected them, and Harry loved Quidditch for it. Harry shook the sad thoughts from his mind, and he mounted his broom just as he spotted the Pitch. He blasted off the ground, the cool wind instantly blowing against his face and through his hair. Harry grinned as he spotted a bunch of people just flying about, and thankfully, none of them were from Slytherin. That's when Harry spotted a certain red-haired girl throwing a Quaffle through the hoops, and Harry flew over to her.
"Hey, Ginny!" Harry called out, and she stopped abruptly. "Practicing for Quidditch try-outs for next year?" Ginny turned to face him, her face flushed and wind-beaten.
"No…" she replied as Harry flew in closer, and he could see her tense a bit. It bothered Harry a bit that she was still so awkward around him, but she had been getting better. At least she can say a few things to me before running off. "I just enjoy throwing the Quaffle around…" Ginny explain, her face getting redder.
"You've been out here every day from what I've heard" Harry smiled in a friendly manner. He got along with all the Weasleys, and he wanted to give Ginny a chance too. I mean, even Ron and I are friends. And he's in Slytherin. "I reckon you could make the team easily."
"Really?" Ginny asked, a small smile of excitement gracing her face.
"Sure, I don't see why not" Harry replied, and Ginny averted her eyes and blushed. Oh no, she's about to do it again. "Hey, why don't we practice together? I can be Keeper, and you can keep practicing being Chaser. And then, we can both compete for the Golden Snitch?" Ginny went beet-red, but she also nodded fervently. I guess she can't get shyer around me, but maybe this way I can show her that I'm just Harry. Not some 'Savior of Wizarding England' nonsense.
Hermione Granger's POV
Friday 24th April, 1993 (Library – Before Dinner)
She didn't need anyone to study with, she could do it on her own. As a matter of fact, she preferred studying alone. Yeah, that's right… When she studied alone, she didn't have to hear whispers or chattering. When she studied alone, she didn't have to stop every five minutes to help everyone around her. When she studied alone, no air-headed bimbo would call her annoying.
Hermione huffed angrily as she flipped the page with a little more gusto than necessary, how could Lavender Brown dare call her that? I'm not 'annoying', she's annoying. Her and Parvati both. How is it even possible for Parvati to be related to Padma? Did Padma get the whole brain when they were in the womb together? All Hermione had done was show concern for her friend. Lavender didn't even know Ron, or anyone else in their study group. Their study group? No, it's Ron's study group. Hermione quickly silenced the traitorous voice in her head, it was their study group. Hermione had made it for them. Sure it had grown in size, and it was no longer just the Heir's victims, but at least it promoted House Unity. But despite that, Hermione couldn't help but feel like Ron had stolen her idea. And then he had cast her aside in order to… do whatever he was up to.
Hermione wasn't a complete moron, despite what people like Lavender Brown said, she understood people. So it wasn't hard to see that Ron had some agenda behind his actions. He had filled the group with people from each house, and he used his funny personality to entertain them rather than teach them. Ron's method of teaching was simple, he'd make some jokes and then give you the answer. So it was no surprise that morons like Lavender and Parvati always joined his group. And yet, Hermione could see that both Neville, and especially Harry, also wanted to join Ron's group. That not only enraged her, but it also hurt her. How would they learn anything if Ron just gave them the answers every time? And why wouldn't they listen to her? She was funny as well… No, I'm anything but funny. But studying shouldn't be entertainment! It's there to increase our knowledge, and to teach us how to operate in the real world. Ron won't always be around to make witty jokes, or to just hand them the answers.
"Thought I'd find you here" came a familiar voice from behind her, and Hermione rolled her eyes. Great, more interruptions. Neville came into view, and he sat down in front of her. He was smiling in a really friendly way, as usual, but Hermione found it annoying for some reason.
"I'm trying to study, Neville" Hermione whispered in a scolding tone. "And you're disturbing me." Neville looked at her closed books, and Hermione flushed red. "I… I just got here, alright?"
"That's fine" Neville replied in an understanding tone, and Hermione frowned at his understanding nature. Neville was too polite, and it often made her feel like the guilty party whenever they argued. But they didn't really argue that much at all, Hermione could actually count on one hand how many times they had fought. When he suspected Ron of being the Heir, when we argued about 'Pure-Blood' families, and just whenever he and Harry try and ignore their homework. Neville isn't the type to start fights unless he deems it unavoidable. "I just wanted to check up on you" Neville went on.
"I'm fine, Neville" Hermione responded curtly. "There's no need to 'check up on me'." That's so patronizing.
"Do you want to talk about what happened?" Neville asked, completely ignoring her statement.
"No" Hermione replied as she opened her book on Potions.
"Lavender was way out of line, Hermione" Neville said, again ignoring her words. Hermione looked up at him for agreeing with her, and then she drew in a deep breath. At least someone understands.
"She's not even there to study" Hermione complained, and she missed Neville's smile increasing. He had gotten through her 'tough' act. "And she isn't Ron's friend, she's just… an airheaded moron. Ugh… And how dare she call me annoying? I was only looking out for Ron, you know, because he's my friend. And in case no one noticed, he agreed with me. He didn't leave because he was 'hurt by my comment', he left because he could see the sense in my words. Lavender and Parvati were just mad that they lost their free source of answers, and their complaining is what made everyone else leave. Ron's own friends stayed behind, and they only left because Lavender and Parvati wouldn't stop whining." Hermione drew in a deep breath, while Neville just held back his chuckle.
"And now everyone is blaming me" Hermione frowned deeply. "Ron looked completely… dead. And I suggested that he get some rest, but nooo… 'Hermione is a jerk', 'Hermione is so mean', or my personal favorite 'Hermione is just bossy'… Why did he even invite them to join?" Hermione then glared at Neville to reply.
"House Unity?" Neville guessed, and Hermione gave him a deadpan look. Is he really that blind? Isn't he usually the one who 'sees Ron for what Ron really is'? Or some other gibberish like that?
"He's turned our study group into his own personal fan-club, and he's trying to bring around even more people" Hermione exhaled. "What's his goal? He isn't the type of person who just wants to be at the center of attention, I'm sure of that."
"Well, we don't really know Ron all that well" Neville interjected, and Hermione felt irritated beyond words. Is he seriously back on that?! "He's our friend, no doubt. But we only ever see him in classes, where we don't even talk to him. When we do talk to him, it's usually for a few minutes… or at the study group. But the study group is a new thing… What I'm trying to say is that Ron might be a little more complex than you want him to be. Everyone hides some part of themselves, it's only natural. And he probably doesn't realize that he's… bothered you. I mean, you haven't really told him have you?"
"No…" Hermione blinked. "But I shouldn't have to. He's a 'Prodigy', isn't he?"
"Hermione, that's a little unfair" Neville smiled apologetically. "Ron isn't a mind-reader, he can't tell how you feel by just looking at you. Even Harry and I have trouble deciphering you sometimes, and we're your best friends."
"Well…" Hermione tried to think of an argument, but dammit he had her. "He still shouldn't have invited those two… air-for-brains…"
"He assured me that they pulled their own weight" Neville told her, and she narrowed her eyes on him.
"You talked to him?" Hermione asked, and he nodded. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because you were angry at Lavender and Parvati, and Harry told me not to upset you further" Neville admitted.
"Harry James Potter… You're so dead…" Hermione grit out.
"He just doesn't like seeing you upset, and neither do I" Neville told her, and Hermione found it increasingly harder to stay angry. "Look Hermione, Ron's already invited them to the group. And if you kick them out, that's only going to make you look bad. Why not just ignore them? They're never in our group anyway, so what's the harm of letting them linger around Ron?" Because then I can't talk to him!
"They're annoying…" Hermione managed as she averted her gaze. Damn Neville for being so polite, and for being so understanding. Couldn't he see that she just wanted to vent? Couldn't he understand that she wanted to study with Ron just like they used to? He isn't a mind-reader… Great, now his words are stuck in my head.
"They're not so bad, I usually just ignore them once they reach a certain volume" Neville shrugged, and a giggle escaped from her mouth.
"Nev, that's horrid" Hermione laughed guiltily, and Neville smiled widely. "Thanks…"
"Don't mention it" Neville replied. "Do you want to head back to Gryffindor Tower? We can play Exploding Snap."
"Hmmm" Hermione hummed. "Alright, but just this once."
Ronald Weasley's POV
Friday 24th April, 1993 (Sanctuary – Dinner)
"Marty" Ron called, and it resulted in a loud crack sounding off from behind him.
"Master called Marty?" came Marty's squeaky voice, and then the Elf came around to stand in front of Ron. Ron was sitting in his favorite chair again, his thoughts finally calmed by the Calming Draught.
"I did" Ron replied. "I'm hungry, can you bring me some food? Nothing too heavy, I don't want to feel bloated."
"Marty understands, Master" Marty nodded, and Ron wondered about Marty referring to him as just 'Master'. If he doesn't mind, then why should I? "Marty will bring chicken soup, with bread and cheese." Ron nodded in approval, and Marty was disapparated with a loud crack.
Ron stared back into the cozy fire, its warmth showering his skin. I'll take Marty to the Chamber tonight, and show him that I'm a Parselmouth. I know that I can trust Marty with anything, he'll never betray me. Ron had been thinking about betrayal from the moment that he had taken his Potion. Well, not just betrayal, but the concept of doing something else after giving your word. The Entity didn't want Dumbledore to know 'Just yet', which meant that it wanted Dumbledore involved eventually. It doesn't trust Dumbledore, as if it has any right to judge anyone. I'll try and get more out of it later, right now my focus should be on the Chamber.
Once the castle had gone to sleep, Ron would make his way to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom and open the entrance. His friends had told him all about the moving sink, and Ron was rather keen to see it for himself. Though why he needed a fang from the dead Basilisk was beyond him. But he knew that it had to be important. Why else would the Entity, who was always in the background, instruct him personally to get it? The fang was important, and Ron would find out why. After he had acquired it, he planned to speak to the Entity again. There was a sudden crack, and the clanking of plates.
"Master, your dinner" Marty bowed deeply after he put the tray on the coffee table.
"Thank you, Marty" Ron put on a smile just to look grateful, the Potion still dulling his emotions. "Now, I need you to do something else."
"Of course, Master" Marty beamed, it had been too long since he had helped with anything.
"I want you to go to my room, and I need you to get a few things" Ron instructed, and Marty listened intently. "Inside my trunk is a large piece of parchment with nothing on it, bring that to me. And also within my trunk is a wooden box which has vials of the Calming Draught, bring me one vial. Understand?"
"Marty understands Master" Marty nodded, and then he was gone with a crack. Ron moved over to the tray of food, and he began eating. The soup was hot, the bread was soft, and the cheese had a strong flavor to it. All in all, Ron was pleased with the meal and he ate quickly. Marty reappeared with a crack, and he presented Ron with what he asked for.
"Thank you, Marty" Ron forced another smile.
"Anything else, Master?" Marty bowed.
"Yes, actually" Ron replied, and Marty beamed. "Take a seat Marty, I need to talk to you." Marty nodded, and he climbed onto a seat on the other side of the table.
"Marty has never sat with a Master before" Marty noted, his smile growing wider. "What does Master wish to discuss?"
"I can trust you, can't I?" Ron asked, trying his best not to sound monotone. Damn Potion, I don't want to offend Marty in any way.
"Of course, Master" Marty nodded fervently. "Marty will take Master's secrets to the grave, truly."
"Thank you, Marty" Ron smiled in spite of the Calming Draught. "Are you hungry?"
"No Master, Marty has already eaten" Marty replied. "Master should finish his meal by himself, he looks… unwell."
"I see" Ron nodded. "I need your help tonight Marty… with something that might be dangerous. Can I count on you?"
"Of course!" Marty agreed immediately, and Ron blinked in surprise. I don't know what I've done to earn this kind of loyalty from him. "May Marty ask what Master is planning?"
"Of course" Ron nodded again. "I need to break into the Chamber of Secrets tonight…" Marty gasped, his face showing his fear.
"Master could get hurt" Marty muttered.
"Which is why I need you with me" Ron explained, and Marty sat up straighter. "There is an object that I need to retrieve, and it is hidden within the Chamber. Now… The Chamber was host to Salazar's Basilisk, but it's been dead for just over two months now. I need its fang."
"Why?" Marty asked slowly.
"That… I can't explain yet." How can I? I myself have no clue about it.
"Marty understands, and Marty will gladly join Master on his quest" Marty smiled in an understanding way.
"Thank you, Marty" Ron responded. "Come back to me at midnight, and we will travel to the Chamber together." Marty nodded, and with a snap of his fingers, he was gone. Ron turned his attention to the Marauder's Map, and he tapped it with his wand. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." The map was revealed, and Ron opened it and turned his attention towards the Great Hall. His friends were all sitting together… alongside Carey Ductu? Why is she sitting with them? Interesting.
Saturday 25th April, 1993 (Sanctuary – Midnight)
Daphne had come around to check up on him at the Sanctuary, but Ron honestly couldn't be bothered dealing with her. So he had hidden himself with the Disillusionment Charm and just watched her walk around the room as she looked for him, and then he had watched her leave with a worried look on her face. Her worries seemed… trivial to Ron. She probably wanted to talk to him about things that he couldn't tell her, or she was just looking for him to play their games. Games that just seemed pointless right now. A loud crack brought Ron out of his thoughts, and he turned to see Marty standing behind him.
"Marty is here, Master" Marty reported, his back straight. He looks ready to go to battle. Let's hope that's not the case tonight, I just want to get that fang and get out.
"Good, we don't have time to waste" Ron replied, he had just had another vial of Calming Draught. Two in one day, that was the maximum Bernard said that I should have. "The entrance to the Chamber is in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, and we need Parseltongue to open it."
"Parseltongue, Master?" Marty blinked.
"I speak it, so don't worry about that" Ron replied, and Marty's eyes widened. "It's a long story, one that isn't important right now. We should be on our way." Marty nodded, though the curious glint in his eyes was still there.
"Marty can take us there, if Master wishes" Marty offered.
"Will we make a lot of noise?" Ron asked calmly. "You tend to make an earsplitting sound whenever you show up." Marty averted his gaze at that, and he shuffled his little feet.
"Marty will take care to be much quieter from now on" Marty replied. I only stated the truth, no need to get all guilty.
"If you can get us there quietly, then sure" Ron responded, he didn't have time to make Marty feel good. Ron opened the Marauder's Map, and he looked around the castle. Blaise and Theo were in the common room, no doubt waiting for Ron. The girls were asleep in their dorm, except for Daphne who was pacing in their bathroom. Ron looked to Myrtle's bathroom, and he noticed that no teacher was currently on the second floor. But Myrtle was floating about in her bathroom.
"Marty, take us to the broom closet on the second floor" Ron instructed. "The one near the abandoned girls' bathroom, and keep the noise to a minimum." Marty nodded, and he held out his hand for Ron to take. Ron did so without a second thought, he trusted Marty completely. Ron suddenly felt like his entire body was being pushed through a straw, his eyes were pressed against the back of his head, his ear drums felt like they caved in, and his vision went black for a moment. And then, he was inside a broom closet along with a faint popping sound. Ron bent over, his breath jagged and his head spinning.
"Master?" Marty whispered.
"I'm fine…" Ron muttered, though he felt rather queasy. I might actually vomit. After a few seconds of barely keeping his dinner in, Ron took out his wand. "Lumos" Ron whispered, and his want emitted a white glow from its tip. Ron looked at the map, and he was glad to see that the Professors weren't anywhere near him. Myrtle was their only problem, and Ron needed her gone before he could open the Chamber. "Marty, Moaning Myrtle is in the bathroom and we can't act until she leaves."
"Marty can take care of that, if it pleases Master" Marty smiled widely.
"How?" Ron asked.
"Marty will lie to her" Marty replied, a flash of guilt in his wide, blue eyes. "Marty will tell her that the Elves wish to see her."
"And she'll fall for that?" Ron asked.
"She is kind to the Elves, Master" Marty nodded. "And we enjoy her company as well." Well, who knew? But then again, she seems to be lacking in the friends department. And Elves are a kind lot, generally.
"Do it, I'll join you after I see her leave" Ron agreed, and Marty's eyes shot to the Marauder's Map. "Yes, it can show me where ghosts are too." Marty nodded, but he didn't comment on the map. Marty then disapparated, and Ron turned his focus to the map. He waited for a few moments, and he watched Marty's 'dots' in front of Myrtle's. And then, Myrtle flew through the walls and began heading towards the Kitchens. Nice job, Marty. Ron snuck out of the broom closet, and he tiptoed into Myrtle's bathroom.
"She is gone, Master" Marty smiled widely when he saw Ron, and Ron nodded.
"Well done, Marty" Ron responded, and then he looked around the bathroom. No time to waste, she might come back any minute now. "Alright Marty, stand behind me." Marty nodded, and he ran behind Ron. "Open" Ron said, but nothing happened.
"Master… that was not…" Marty piped up, but then he held his tongue. Damn, I haven't done it in a while.
"Open" Ron hissed, and Marty grabbed at the back of his Master's robes. There was a white light that suddenly emanated from one of the sinks, and then it was gone. Ron turned to the sink that began sliding forward, and he finally noticed that he wasn't even unnerved. The Potion was dulling any fear or worry, and Ron decided that maybe that was a good thing. He had a job to do. As the sink sank into the ground, it revealed a pipe that was wide enough for a man to slide into.
"The entrance…" Marty whispered, his eyes widening.
"I'll go in first, and then I'll call for you if it's safe" Ron told him. "You can slide down once I give you the signal."
"Master no… Let Marty go in first, please…" Marty grabbed a fist full of Ron's robes.
"Marty, that was an order" Ron told him firmly, he wasn't letting Marty get hurt on his behalf. If the Entity wants me going down there, then I'm risking my own neck first. Marty's eyes welled up with thick tears, but he didn't argue. Ron approached the pipe, and he found himself being grateful to his Potion again. And then, Ron took a leap of faith.
The journey down was unexpected… and unpleasant. Ron slid down the pipe at an alarming speed, and the twists and turns resulted in him slamming against the pipe. He held his wand tightly to his chest in order to protect it, and he held his breath to bypass the horrid smell. Not to mention that he could feel the slime on his clothes and skin, something that unnerved Ron despite the Calming Draught. And then, the pipe leveled out and Ron was shot out into the darkness. He landed with on the cold stone ground with a thud, and a cuss. But he was quick to get back up on his feet, his wand at the ready.
"Lumos!" Ron chanted loudly, and his wand lit up like a torch. He was in a damp cave of sorts, and it was rather cold down here. I must be miles beneath the school. Beauxbatons gets naked Dryads, while I get damp caves. Maybe I should have agreed to Madam Maxime's proposal. "Marty, come!" There was a sudden crack from behind him, and Ron turned around quickly.
"Master is safe!" Marty ran up and hugged Ron's leg, not even caring about the slime. "The entrance closed after Master went inside, and Marty feared the worst…" Marty sniffled.
"I'm fine, Marty" Ron assured his Elf. "Covered in slime, and a bit sore, but fine. I do have one question though… How did you apparate down here?"
"Elves can apparate to their Masters" Marty explained as he let go of Ron's leg. "Unless their Masters are in a place warded against Elves, that is."
"So you don't have to know where you're going" Ron blinked. "As long as I'm there, you can just come to me?"
"Yes, Master" Marty nodded, and Ron was slightly awed. House Elves are… not like us at all. I know that they have different Magic than us, but still… Are they stronger than us?
"Well… Let's move on…" Ron blinked, was Marty more powerful than him? I should be calling him Master… What the hell? Marty snapped his fingers, and a bright ball of light appeared above them. "Neat" Ron smiled at it. "Stay alert, and stay behind me." Marty nodded, and they began making their way further into the cave. The cave, although well-lit by Marty's ball of light, was still eerie. Ron's eyes darted to each shadow, his mind alert. And yet, the Potion was dulling an essential emotion needed to stay alert. Fear. Alright, maybe taking the Potion isn't always the right call. Ron had to focus on being alert, rather than just being alert, and that was not a good sign.
"The monster of the Chamber is dead, is it not?" Marty asked, his voice trembling slightly.
"Yeah, that's what the Professors claimed" Ron replied. "And I'm sure that they were telling the truth." The Entity claimed that it was dead too, and despite being a mangy cunt, it doesn't want me to die down here. Ron and Marty kept going deeper and deeper into the cave, but they stopped abruptly when Ron stepped on a bone that crunched under his foot. "That's… a lot of bones…" Ron said slowly as he looked around himself. There were hundreds of bones from small animals just laying around, and Ron felt Marty stick closer to him.
"Master…" Marty squeaked, but Ron couldn't bring himself to care about the bones around them.
"It's alright, Marty" Ron assured the Elf. "The Basilisk is dead, and there's nothing down here that can hurt us." Ron then began making his way forward again, with Marty following closely behind. As Ron turned the corner, he found himself frozen by a disturbing sight. Oh fuck.
"Master, what is that?" Marty squeaked again, while Ron aimed his wand at the long, curvy snake-like object in the distance.
"I think that's its… skin…" Ron guessed, it wasn't moving so it wasn't alive. "Just be ready to apparate us out of here if anything goes wrong. You can do that right?"
"Yes…" Marty squeaked. Ron drew in a deep breath, and he slowly approached the shed skin. It was over twenty feet long, and it sent a cold chill throughout Ron's skin.
"It's shed skin" Ron told Marty. "But it looks… fresh. How's that possible?" Ron eyed the poisonous green skin, his hand tightening around his wand.
"A Basilisk's skin is Magical, Master" Marty replied, and Ron nodded slowly. "It can withstand most Spells, and it is even difficult to pierce with a blade."
"How do you know that?" Ron asked out of curiosity.
"We Elves share our knowledge with each other to better serve our Masters" Marty smiled sheepishly. "And… we read the books collected by our Masters… But only to better help them." Ron nodded again, he had clearly been underusing Marty.
"Well, let's move on" Ron stated, he didn't want to stay near this shed-skin. Marty nodded fervently, and they both delved deeper into the cave. They eventually found themselves at what was meant to be a dead-end, but there was a massive hole in the wall. "The Chamber… at last…" Ron quickly went through the hole, and Marty followed just as quickly.
The inside of the Chamber was… in ruins. Shattered pillars and statues were everywhere, there was so much debris that Ron could barely see what was ahead, and almost everything in sight was cracked or broken. Ron knew from his friends that the fight between the Heir and the Professors had shaken the very ground itself, and seeing this level of destruction, he could easily believe them. Whatever happened down here, it was far beyond Ron's imagination. As Ron and Marty navigated the large debris that blocked most of their path, Ron spotted a massive, monkey-like face that was carved into the wall at the far end of the Chamber. It too was badly damaged, with holes and scorch marks all over it. I'm guessing that that is Salazar's face. Have you heard of moisturizer, mate? I know a good brand, thanks to Theo.
"Master, look!" Marty suddenly exclaimed, and Ron followed his gaze towards a massive, charred corpse.
"Fucking hell" Ron found himself muttering, the Potion barely keeping his nerves in check. The Basilisk's corpse was burnt to a fucking crisp, and Ron wondered what the fuck Dumbledore had done to it. How is telling Dumbledore about the war not the right move? I need his help, I can see that for certain now. Look at this shite, he did this to a Basilisk. Ron and Marty finally crossed the debris, and they stood before the smoldered corpse of Slytherin's monster. Ron found himself grimacing at the sight, Dumbledore had really done a number on the beast.
"Master, the fangs…" Marty said softly, and Ron gazed at the monster's slightly open mouth. Its fangs were shattered, and completely charred. "Does Master want the poison from its fangs?" Marty asked. That's a good question… Do I? "These fangs are destroyed, and there's no poison left on them…"
"The fangs are all broken and burnt…" Ron frowned. "Look around, and see if you can find a chipped fang that isn't destroyed." Now would be a good time to show yourself, Entity. No? Nothing? Fucking cunt. Ron started looking near the debris, while Marty looked near Salazar's damaged face. Ron and Marty searched for ten minutes, and just when Ron was about to give up, Marty called out excitedly.
"Master! I found one!" Marty called, and Ron immediately made his way to the Elf. Marty was standing in front of a large fang which wasn't burnt, but it was slightly chipped.
"It's the size of a bloody dagger" Ron said as he examined it.
"Be careful, Master" Marty warned. "A Basilisk's venom can kill anything."
"I know, Theo told me all about it" Ron responded. "We should've brought a cloth, or something…" Marty snapped his fingers, and he conjured a thick leather rag. "Is there anything that you can't do?" Ron asked, and Marty beamed. Is this why the Entity wanted Marty here? If Ron wasn't on the Calming Draught, he'd probably get angry at being controlled. But then again, his entire life since he was eight was a manipulation. And Ron would have gone on being ignorant of it… But the Entity broke that illusion. Why? Showing me its cards doesn't help it, so why do tell me the truth? Something is not right, but I can't see it just yet.
"Master?" came Marty's voice, and Ron was pulled from his thoughts. "Is Master alright?"
"Yes" Ron put on a soft smile, and Marty nodded slowly. "Hand me the leather rag please" Ron asked, and Marty passed it over. Ron carefully wrapped the fang up, while Marty watched with a scared look. Once the fang was all wrapped up in the rag, Ron stood up with the rag in his left hand. "We have what we came for, let's leave. This place is unnerving, and I'd rather not stay here longer than necessary." Marty didn't argue that, and he quickly grabbed onto Ron's right hand. "Take me to the bathroom connected to my room, and keep the sound to a minimum."
"Of course" Marty smiled, and then they both disapparated. After going through the horrendous feeling of being shoved through a thin pipe, Ron found himself in his bathroom. Fuck, that's just nauseating. Luckily for both Ron and Marty, it was empty. Ron frowned at himself for not checking the map beforehand, it was utterly careless. "Master should hand Marty his robes for washing" Marty suggested, and Ron nodded. Ron didn't know if it was the Potion, or if it was the simple fact that he was just completely exhausted, but he began taking off his clothes without a care. Even if Marty was horrified by Ron's terrible scars, he didn't utter a word about them. Once Ron was starkers, he handed Marty his slime covered clothes.
"Take your time, school won't start until Monday" Ron said in an eerily calm voice, and he even ignored Marty's wide-eyes staring at the scar that ran across Ron's chest. He won't judge me on them, and even if he does, I don't really care right now.
"O… Of… Of course, Master" Marty stammered a bit, but then he adorned a more resolute expression. "Marty will have them laundered by the morning." And then just like that, Marty disapparated with a pop. Ron shot a quick look to the leather rag and the Marauder's Map, both of which were now sitting on the bathroom counter. He then walked over, and locked the door. Ron took a quick shower, and once he was no longer smelling like garbage, he stepped out and dried himself off. He wrapped the towel around his waist, grabbed the leather rag and the map, and then exited the bathroom. He instantly spotted Blaise and Theo, both of whom were clearly waiting for him.
"Where have you been?" Blaise asked, his voice calm and collected. But the moment he saw Ron's scars, something akin to fear flashed across his face. They are pretty jarring to look at, aren't they? Well, they've already seen them so it hardly matters.
"Around" Ron shrugged as he made his way to his trunk.
"What's that?" Theo asked, his eyes on the leather rag.
"Something that doesn't involve you" Ron replied in a monotone voice. "Forget that you even saw it." Blaise and Theo exchanged quick looks, Ron was acting off. But then again, he had been acting off all day. Ron tucked the map and the leather covered fang into his trunk, and then he sealed it shut. I need to find a more secure place for the fang. I don't need either of them finding out about it.
"Ron?" Theo called, and Ron stood back up. Theo's eyes travelled towards Ron's scars, but he quickly looked Ron in the eyes. "Are you alright?"
"I'm on the Calming Draught" Ron told them in order to clear up any questions regarding his off-behavior.
"I see" Blaise responded, his body relaxing a bit. "Did you have a panic attack?"
"Nearly" Ron replied, his calm tone making both Theo and Blaise uncomfortable. It was like conversing with a dead person. "I had a lot of stress moments, and I couldn't take it anymore. I ended up having two vials of Calming Draught."
"Alright" Theo nodded slowly.
"Make sure you tell Daphne that tomorrow" Ron instructed. "She likes to keep tabs on my stress. And before you ask, I can't talk to her tomorrow because I have work with her father. Goodnight." Theo and Blaise just blinked at him as he turned to his bed.
"Wait…" Blaise said suddenly, and Ron turned to face him again. "Carey Ductu was looking for you." Is that why she was having dinner with them? Great, I wonder what she wants now. I've already got enough to deal with, I don't have time for her games.
"Thanks for letting me know" Ron nodded. "Goodnight." With that, Ron got onto his bed and closed the curtains. He took off his towel, snuggled himself into his blankets, and went to sleep.
Saturday 25th April, 1993 (Heading to Dinner – Dinner-Time)
Something was off, and Ron could feel it. Ron had retrieved that blasted fang, but the Entity wasn't responding. He had spent all morning trying to get its attention, even to the point of just cussing at it, but he was only met with silence. So instead of focusing on why the Entity wasn't responding, Ron began to think about its actions. There was a pattern with the Entity, a pattern that Ron had begun to notice when he looked back at their interactions under the influence of the Calming Draught. It would leave him alone for weeks on end, and then show up just to terrorize him. And then, it would just leave again. It didn't make any fucking sense. Not to mention that it had just shown Ron all of its manipulations, and it sounded rather proud of itself. For a being that could see all of Time at once, the Entity did some rather… idiotic things.
That's when it occurred to Ron that those things seemed idiotic to him because he couldn't understand the motivation behind them. And so, Ron began to focus on the Entity's intent. It wanted the Dark Lord dead, and it wanted to be free of Ron. And yet, its actions worked in favor of something completely opposite. It terrorized and hurt Ron at every turn, it kept secrets that could help Ron immeasurably, and now it was forcing him to stay silent? It had never hurt anyone around Ron, but now it was openly showing Ron what it was capable of? Why the fuck would something as 'All-seeing' as the Entity make such basic errors in judgement? Why show Ron that it was controlling him? Couldn't it see that Ron would reject the idea of being controlled? Shouldn't it just know Ron's reactions because it could see the Future? And that's when a barmy idea occurred to Ron. Maybe it couldn't see? Maybe… just maybe, the Entity couldn't see Ron.
What if the Entity could see everyone's Futures, but not Ron's? Ron was, after all, an 'anomaly within Time', right? He wasn't a 'slave to time', right? The Entity itself had told Ron that he was different from every other mortal in this Universe because Ron possessed the Entity's unique power. Would it be such a stretch to think that maybe Ron possessed a little more power than the Entity wished? Why else would it not just tell him what to do? Why even show him visions when it could just tell Ron about his Future? Sure that Future would change by Ron just knowing about it, but wasn't that the case with the visions as well?
And then there were the visions that Ron had seen during his life, visions that he had spent the entire day combing through. Ron was surprised to realize that no matter which vision he looked back upon, he wasn't in any of them. Not a single one. Not even the one where all of his family members were mourning the death of Fred. Why the fuck wouldn't Ron be there? Where was he during the assault on Hogwarts? He knew for certain that he would stand by his family during this assault. And yet, he wasn't there? His brother had died, and Ronald Weasley was nowhere to be found. Was he dead? Was he captured? Was the vision just to motivate Ron? Ron had so many questions that he felt almost a hundred years older than he was.
Also, why in the actual fuck did an 'All-seeing being' feel the need to manipulate Ron, rather than just tell him which pot-holes to avoid? The Entity had also revealed that each vision was used to make Ron 'more resolute' in his task, but that only served to make Ron wonder even more about why the Entity would tell him this. If you were manipulating someone, wouldn't telling them that bit of information just throw a wrench in your plans? It was like it wanted Ron's spirit to be broken, for Ron to become utterly dependent on it. To be its puppet, and nothing else. And there was Ron's answer to everything. The Entity wanted a slave, and unfortunately for Ron, they were bound together by this 'She'.
Ron was taken out of his thoughts when he felt another stress moment coming on, and he stopped at the steps leading into the Entrance Hall. This would be his fifth one today, and Ron couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't live like this… He didn't want to eat, he didn't want to sleep, he didn't even want see his friends. He just wanted a break from it all… Ron reached into his robe pocket, and he pulled out a vial of Calming Draught. As he drank it down, he felt utter contempt for his own life. What the fuck was the point of all of this suffering if the Entity was just going to show up eventually and make things worse? It was just one bad thing after another, and it had been like this for as long as Ron could remember. Something had to be done, or Ron was just going to keel over and die from stress.
As the Potion did its job, Ron felt numbness wash over him. Numbness that Ron embraced with a soft smile, he was regaining his clarity. Lord Greengrass had noticed Ron's troubled state, but he hadn't said anything. Ron was grateful for that, he didn't really want to lie and cause himself even more stress. With his mind calming down, Ron made his way into the packed Great Hall. A lot of eyes fell on him, but most of them quickly lost interest. Ron walked over to his friends, and he took his usual seat in-between Theo and Blaise.
"Hello" Ron greeted them in his usual way, and they all nodded. Silence? Great, they're upset about something. Whatever, I'm not going to even bother asking them. If they want to talk about it, then they can start that conversation. Ron began putting a modest amount of food on his plate, his mind becoming more and more devoid of his worries.
"How are you feeling today?" Pansy broke the silence.
"I feel fine" Ron replied, his tone calm and cold. "How are you, Pansy?"
"Fine…" Pansy mumbled, her eyes going back to her food.
"Are you on that Potion again?" Daphne asked, a certain edge to her tone.
"Yes" Ron replied, there was no point in lying about it. What are they going to do? Kill me? Take a number, and get in line.
"Mate…" Theo sighed. "Did you have a lot of stress moments again?"
"Five so far today" Ron replied, he missed Daphne's face going pale. "Couldn't take having a sixth, so I had the Potion."
"Ron, what's wrong?" Tracey asked with a worried voice. "You were doing really well with your stress, but then out of nowhere you've… You've just gone off the deep end." I've gone off the deep end because the cunt that is supposed to be helping me would rather torment me than do its job. Why did 'She' bind this fucker to me? Nothing to say to that, Entity? Where are you? Where do you run off to when you're done ruining my life?
"Ron?" Millie called, and Ron looked up at her. "Tracey asked you something."
"I know, I heard her" Ron responded, but then he began eating his food. It felt like a chore, but it had to be done. His friends exchanged looks, and then they began eating their own food. Why would the Entity tell me of its machinations if not to break my spirit? I mean, I would never give away my schemes. Tactically speaking, it's just not a smart move to show your opponent your hand. Opponent… Fucking hell, we're supposed to be working together, but we hate each other so much that we can't even see each other as anything else. Ron could hear his friends chatting to each other, and he ignored them for the most part. He ate his food, and he pondered more about the Entity. There was something going on with it, and Ron was going to figure it out.
Before Ron could finish his third plate, the school bell went off. Ron decided that he had eaten enough, and he got up to leave with his friends. They were talking about pointless things like Millie's Chocolate Frog Card Collection, or Pansy's new fashion advice. Ron almost envied their ignorance… almost. Their ignorance was going to get them killed one day, and despite Ron's best efforts so far, they still refused to train with him on a regular basis. Maybe I should take a page out of the Entity's book, and force them to do as I say. No… I can't do that to them. I'll never do that to them. But maybe a harsh lesson about the upcoming danger is needed, and then they can make their own choice?
"Ron, wait up" came a familiar voice from behind them, and Ron turned to see the Golden Trio catch up to them. He could feel the annoyance emanate from his friends, but he didn't feel anything himself.
"Hello you three, what can I do for you?" Ron asked politely, and both Gryffindor boys looked to a sheepish Hermione.
"I wanted to apologize…" Hermione replied, and Ron waited for her to go on. Apologize for what? "I shouldn't have been so… forceful yesterday. What I was trying to say was that you should rest… and not study. Because you looked tired…"
"I know, that's why I left" Ron accepted her apology, though he was never bothered in the first place. "You were right Hermione, I wasn't in the mindset to study. I was only getting in everyone's way. Thank you for apologizing, but you have nothing to apologize for." That was rather political of me, I'm proud of that. And she really didn't offend me, so she has no reason to feel guilty. Hermione certainly enjoyed his words because she beamed, only to give him a worried look right after.
"Do you want to talk about what had you so worried?" Hermione asked, and that seemed to be the last straw for Daphne.
"It's nothing you need to concern yourself with, Granger" Daphne said coldly, and then she turned to Ron. "Ron, let's go." Can't we all just get along? Why do we keep fighting each other over such trivial things?
"He's my friend too, Greengrass" Hermione bit out, and Ron felt the need to sigh tiredly. Neville and Harry however, did sigh tiredly.
"Hermione, it's fine" Harry told her, though he was eyeballing Daphne. "Ron's not upset with you, let's not start an argument."
"She doesn't own him" Hermione narrowed her eyes on Daphne, but Daphne just cocked an eyebrow. In all fairness, I think Hermione would win in a Duel. Daphne is slightly above average, but nothing special. I should step in before this escalates.
"No one owns me" Ron lied, the Entity clearly did. "And Harry is right, can we please not argue in the Entrance Hall. People are passing by." That seemed to make his Slytherin friends a bit more aware, whereas Hermione didn't seem to care.
"Ron, let's go" Tracey said as she grabbed his gloved hand and gave it a tug.
"I'll see you guys later" Ron told the Trio, but only Harry and Neville nodded. Hermione was just glaring at Tracey and Daphne, much to Ron's annoyance. Arguing in the Entrance Hall just seemed… petty. I need to tell Daphne to stop being so hostile towards them all the time. Ron turned around and began to leave, and his friends slowly followed after him. As they were nearing the common room, Ron looked towards Daphne. "Stop being so hostile towards them." Daphne blinked at him, and then she frowned.
"She was overstepping…" Daphne shot back, and Ron's friends just sighed.
"She asked me if I wanted to talk about my worries, and you started dictating what she could and couldn't do" Ron responded calmly. "I'm sick of the same arguments happening between our groups, and they end now. Is that understood?"
"She is a haughty, annoying…" Daphne started, but Ron just stared through her.
"I said that they end now, don't make me repeat myself" Ron warned, and Daphne stopped talking. "That goes for all of you. The next person who starts an argument with the Trio for no fucking reason is going to get their arse kicked into the dirt by me. That's a promise." Enough is enough. I'm sick of this constant bickering when there is a fucking war around the corner. Ron's friends were wounded by his threat, but they didn't say another word. "Legacy" Ron said to the common room entrance door, and the wall slid aside. Ron and his friends made their way inside, but they were forced to stop immediately. Carey Ductu was clearly waiting of them, her eyes fixed on Ron.
"Ron, I need a word with you" Carey said, her voice as silky as always. Let me guess, you need me to fix another problem for you.
"Certainly" Ron replied in a monotone voice, and then he turned to his friends. "Remember, this bickering ends. I'm sick of it." Ron then followed after Carey without waiting for their response, they needed to grow up already. Ron followed Carey to the Potions Lab, and he was met with both Samantha and Clara.
"He lives" Clara giggled. "You had us all worried yesterday."
"Yes, I'm sure you were all so worried" Ron replied coldly, and Clara's smile faltered. "What do you want?"
"Excuse me?" Samantha asked, her face losing all of its mirth.
"What do you want?" Ron repeated, although more slowly. "I'm tired, and I want to sleep." The three girls exchanged looks, something was off with him.
"Maybe we just wanted to see you" Clara smiled, this conversation needed a restart.
"Well, you've seen me" Ron shrugged, and then he turned to leave. "Goodnight."
"Ron, what's the matter with you?" Carey asked, a tinge of concern in her voice. Ron turned back around, and he just stared at them. Why can't they just be straightforward for once? Also, I can't be bothered dealing with 'House Issues' right now. I have bigger things to worry about.
"I've had a long day, and I'm not in the mood for games" Ron replied. "Tell me what you want, or I'm leaving." The girls exchanged looks again, he had caught them off-guard with his cold demeanor. Ron was anything but cold, and it didn't suit him.
"Malfoy has been making a fuss about you" Clara said, her voice no longer sweet. "It's getting annoying, and idiots like Flint are listening to his drivel. We told you that we wanted to keep the House peaceful, but you've given Malfoy another reason to complain."
"What did I do now?" Ron asked.
"You're openly associating with Potter, and his ilk" Samantha replied. "This new study group of yours is also… strange. Unheard of, even. You're a Slytherin who is openly joining forces with Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws. It has some people… worried about your priorities."
"My priorities are clear" Ron replied. The war is my only 'priority'.
"We know that" Carey said smoothly, a confident smile on her face. "But Malfoy wants… No, he expects himself to be taken seriously within this House. And he sees you as his direct challenger, so you need to be more mindful of how you act."
"Do I?" Ron cocked an eyebrow, and Carey blinked. "What would be the point of that? The moment we fix this problem, Malfoy will find another reason to start this shite again. I don't see the point of constantly putting out the same fire." With that, Ron turned to leave. Carey moved forward and grabbed his gloved hand, and Ron stopped.
"Clara, Sammy" Carey said in a firm tone. "Give Ron and me some privacy please." Clara and Samantha nodded, and they left after shooting Ron quick looks. "Come here" Carey said as she guided them to a bench, and she sat down with his hand still clutched in hers. Ron did as he was instructed, a dull look on his face. "Are you on a Potion of some kind?" Carey asked, and Ron was surprised by her assumption.
"How did you know that?" Ron asked, and she smiled a little.
"I'm great at Potions, and I know how people act when they're on them" Carey replied. "It can't be the Draught of Peace, which would only serve to make you loopy and peaceful. So it has to be the Calming Draught, or some variation of it, judging by your unemotional state."
"It's the Calming Draught" Ron admitted, and Carey nodded slowly.
"Ron, do you want to tell me why you're on such a strong medical Potion?" Carey asked gently.
"No" Ron replied curtly, he didn't need her knowing about his personal problems.
"Alright" Carey nodded in understand, her hand squeezing his. Let go of my hand. Carey examined his pale face, and she saw the dark smudges under his eyes. He looked unwell, and if he was on a Calming Draught, then it had to be stress related. Carey, Samantha, and Clara often noticed that Ron seemingly never turned off. He was always doing something, whether it be studying or creating new relations. He ran every morning, clearly trained in Dueling, and seemed to push himself in every way possible. Even to the point of biting the inside of his mouth open for a game of Chess.
"Carey, you're staring" Ron told her, and she blinked.
"Sorry, I was lost in thought" Carey responded. "You can go and rest, Ron. We'll have a chat with Malfoy ourselves. Don't worry about it."
"Alright" Ron nodded, and he stood up. "You're still holding my hand."
"Oh" Carey blinked, and she let go of it. "Goodnight, Ron."
"Goodnight" Ron said in return, and he made his way out. He spotted his friends sitting by the fire, but he didn't feel the need to join them. All he wanted was to sleep, and so he left for his room.
Monday 4th May, 1993 (Pomfrey's Office – After Classes)
"You didn't come to our session last week" Pomfrey stated as Ron sat down, and he gave her a shrug. "Mr. Weasley, my time is not for you to waste."
"I didn't have anything to discuss last week" Ron replied, the Potion making him not care about her frown.
"Then you need to tell me that" Pomfrey sighed, and then she calmed herself down. "What matters is that you are here now, and from what you just said, I can assume that you have something to talk about today."
"I do" Ron nodded, he really did. He had been thinking of nothing but the Entity all week, and he needed some insight from someone else. He knew that he couldn't reveal anything to her, but he could ask vague questions couldn't he? But before he did that, he needed to ask one important question. "Are you seeing Ginny?" Pomfrey blinked at that, his question taking her by surprise.
"Mr. Weasley, I cannot discuss that with you" Pomfrey replied.
"I'll take that as a yes" Ron smiled to himself. "That's good, she needs your help." Pomfrey pursed her lips, and she examined his demeanor.
"You are on your Calming Draught… again" Pomfrey stated, and Ron simply nodded.
"I've noticed you staring at me in the Great Hall" Ron said.
"Mr. Weasley, I am going to caution restraint here" Pomfrey said firmly. "These Potions are not something to abuse, do you understand?"
"I do" Ron replied, and then he took in a sharp breath. "Madam Pomfrey, can I ask you a few questions? I want your insight on something."
"Certainly" Pomfrey replied after a moment. Here I go.
"Are people born with a fixed way of thinking?" Ron asked, and she blinked. "Are they just born with the innate desire to be a certain way? Can they change in how they see things? How they act? How they perceive the world around them?"
"From what I have seen, people are their experiences" Pomfrey started, her eyes fixed on Ron. "People adapt to their surroundings in order to survive, in order to thrive, or simply because their situations demand it. No one is born with a fixed moral compass, your experiences shape you."
"I think that too" Ron smiled at her for agreeing with him. "If I was in… let's say Hufflepuff… I'd be a very different person, don't you think? I'd have never met my current friends, I'd have never become Lord Greengrass' apprentice, and I'd probably hate the Slytherins just like everyone else seems to."
"Do you feel hated, Mr. Weasley?" Pomfrey asked.
"Sometimes" Ron shrugged. "But it doesn't bother me as much recently, it just seems… insignificant. There are far bigger things to worry about than who doesn't like you at school, you know? But I digress, I am glad that we agree on the nature of people. I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't the only person who thought that. I am me because of what I've experienced, and any other version of me out there can't be… 'Me'. We are not the same person, and so we don't share the same strengths and weaknesses. Our experiences make us different people, with different goals and agendas." Pomfrey blinked at him, clearly confused by his words.
"Mr. Weasley…" Pomfrey started, but Ron cut her off.
"Next question" Ron said, his eyes staring into hers. "If I could see all of Time at once, if I knew every possible outcome before it even happened, wouldn't that make my chances of failure nil?"
"Pardon?" Pomfrey muttered, her clipboard completely forgotten.
"If I had the power to know everything before it happened, if I could see the Past, Present, and Future all at once, would I ever fail at anything?" Pomfrey just stared at him, her expression showing that she was gobsmacked. "Please answer me."
"Mr. Weasley…" Pomfrey muttered as she thought about his words. "Are you speaking of being 'omniscient'? Of being 'All-seeing', and 'All-knowing'?"
"Yes" Ron smiled again, she was catching on. "Could I truly fail at anything if I always just knew the outcome beforehand?"
"I don't see how you could" Pomfrey decided to humor him, though she was starting to get scared for him. He was abusing his Potions, and now he was talking about being… 'God'?
"Exactly" Ron smiled widely, and she blinked again. "If I knew everything before it could happen, then I'd know when and where my host was going to fail."
"Host?" Pomfrey's eyes widened. Damn, I need to watch my words.
"I meant me" Ron stated, and she nodded slowly. "If I knew all of the twists and turns, I'd simply bypass them easily. I wouldn't feel the need to do things the hard way, right?" Pomfrey nodded again, and Ron felt some relief in his chest. This only confirmed his ever-strengthening theory about the Entity. That evil bastard couldn't see Ron's future, and so it felt the need to control him. Why aren't you responding to me? Where have you disappeared off to?
"Mr. Weasley… Ron… You are starting to worry me" Pomfrey said gently, and he blinked at her. "I don't understand where this is coming from, and I would like you to tell me." That would probably get us both killed, so no thanks.
"I've gotten what I needed" Ron stood up, and she went wide-eyed. "Have a pleasant day, Madam Pomfrey."
"Ron, what is…?" Pomfrey started, but Ron simply left her Office and began making his way to the Sanctuary. You evil, smug fucker… You can't see my Future, can you? Is that why you hate me? Because I am the one person who is exempt from your control? Is that why you're trying so hard to scare me, to make me submit to you? I have you now, you shite. And I'm not giving you another inch. Despite being on the Calming Draught, Ron found himself grinning. The Entity could kill him at any moment, but it clearly didn't want to ruin 'this promising Cycle'. Ron had something over the Entity, and he'd be damned if he let that monster run his life.
Ron cast the Disillusionment Charm on himself as he made his way onto the seventh floor, it would be troublesome to get caught by any Gryffindor. As Ron turned the corner and headed towards the Sanctuary, he found himself heading for the Golden Trio themselves. They were talking animatedly, and judging by Hermione's frown, they were arguing. Not your business, Ron. Leave them alone. Ron moved slowly, and as he was passing them, he overheard Harry say his name.
"No one is blaming you for Ron, Hermione" Harry said, his voice drawled out. Okay, so maybe it is my business.
"He skipped our study group, and everyone is blaming me" Hermione shot back haughtily. "Don't bother trying to hide it, Lavender and Parvati told me so themselves."
"Those two…" Neville sighed. "Hermione, why do you even listen to them?"
"I can't not listen to them" Hermione huffed. "I live in the same room as them, so ignoring them is impossible." Damn, I skipped it because I've been living in my head for the last week or so. Ron watched the Trio pass by him, their voices becoming incoherent the further they went. I should probably fix this for Hermione, considering that she's in it because of me. Once Ron had made up his mind, he walked towards the Sanctuary. He paced in front of it, and when the door appeared, he quickly made his way inside. As he broke his Disillusionment Charm, he spotted his friends sitting at the couches. They looked to him, and then slowly went back to their conversation. Then there's them… I've barely spoken to them all week, and I've spent most of my time alone.
"Anything interesting happening?" Ron asked them as he made his way over, and they looked to him.
"So we're talking now?" Daphne asked in return.
"Daph, drop it" Tracey sighed.
"I know I've been… distant" Ron put on a friendly smile. "But I've had a lot on my mind. And when I'm under the Potion's influence, I don't really understand social queues. No, that's not right… I understand them, I just don't feel the need to respect them. But I think I've sorted through a few things that were bothering me, and I want us to go back to being normal again."
"Are you on the Potion now?" Daphne asked, and Ron nodded. Utter panic and worry crossed her face, but she quickly hid it. "Why? Why are you doing this?"
"I'm with Daphne" Blaise jumped in, no longer aloof or indifferent. "Ron, stop taking that Potion. It's not good for you." Ron looked at them all, and they all had the same look of worry on their faces. They're right, I don't need my 'clarity' anymore. What I need is to talk to the Entity, but that bastard has run off again.
"Then I'll stop" Ron agreed, but they all just stared at him. They want proof? "Daphne, I'll give you my supply of it. I won't even carry around a vial anymore. You guys should still carry them, just in case, but I won't even risk tempting myself. How's that?" They exchanged looks, and nodded.
"I want it right now" Daphne ordered as she stood up. "I want you to hand me the entire box, and the vial in your pocket." Ron took out the empty vial and tossed it to her, and she barely caught it. She has horrible reflexes.
"Shall we all head down now?" Ron asked, and they all stood up. That's a resounding yes if I've ever seen one.
Daphne Greengrass' POV
Monday 4th May, 1993 (The Boys' Room – After Classes)
"Can we come in now?" Daphne asked, what did boys feel the need to hide? Their underwear? But then again, their underwear is usually just plain.
"Yeah, you can come in" came Theo's voice, and the girls entered and closed the door behind them.
"Sorry about that" Ron smiled at them, and Daphne fought the urge to shudder at his lifeless smile. "Theo needed to hide his panties."
"Oi, fuck you" The frowned deeply, while Blaise sniggered. A laugh escaped Daphne's throat, but she quickly seized it. No, you're angry with him. Don't let the fact that you've missed him make you forget what a tosser he's been for the last week.
"What color were they?" Tracey giggled, she never could resist turning everything into a joke.
"Slytherin green, and they were lace" Ron replied, and the girls laughed at Theo's glowering face. But Daphne didn't laugh, she wondered how Ron knew what lace panties were? Has he seen lace panties before? Where would he see them? Whose skirt has he been peeking under? "Anyway, here you are" Ron said as he handed Daphne the wooden box, and she took it immediately before he could change his mind. She opened it in order to examine its contents, and she was surprised to see just how many vials were missing.
"How many have you had in the last week?" Daphne asked, unable to hide the panic in her voice.
"Around ten" Ron shrugged, and Daphne saw Blaise and Theo shake their heads at Ron's back. Ten? Merlin, what had him so stressed? Why didn't he bloody talk to anyone about it? Why didn't Pomfrey see this?
"I'm telling my father" Daphne said, and Ron shrugged again.
"That's fine with me, I don't need them anymore" Ron replied.
"You don't need them anymore?" Pansy asked.
"Well, I might in case I have another panic attack" Ron replied, his voice thoughtful. "But I don't need them to think anymore, I've sorted through most of what was bothering me."
"And what was bothering you?" Millie asked. "Why didn't you tell us? We told you that we wanted to help you, but you didn't even mention anything. You just started drinking those stupid Potions, and you started being cold. Do you have any idea how terrible it's been to see you like… that… for the last week?"
"Can't argue that" Ron sighed. "But I'm stopping it, so it's fine."
"Fuck that!" Theo snapped, and Ron gave him an uninterested look. "You've had us all in a panic for over a week, and that's all you have to say about it? That 'it's fine'?"
"Guys, stop" Tracey piped in. "He's still… He's still not interested, can't you see that?" Daphne frowned at Ron, and he just stared at her. I've never felt the need to slap someone so badly before.
"I'm never letting you drink another one of these, do you understand?" Daphne all but snarled, her sheer rage at him creeping into her voice. "If you have a panic attack, then you can have one. But other than that, I'll make sure that you never taste this Potion again." With that, Daphne left the room with the box hugged tightly to her chest. Stupid Potion, you've caused enough problems for us.
Monday 4th May, 1993 (Entrance Hall – Dinner-Time)
"Mr. Weasley, a word?" came Madam Pomfrey's voice, and they all stopped and turned to face her. She was making her way down the steps leading into the Entrance Hall, and she had a deep frown etched on her face. What did he do now?
"Certainly, Madam Pomfrey" Ron replied, he was still under the Potion's influence. Daphne and her friends waited while Ron stepped into a corner with Pomfrey, both of them discussing something important. Did he not go to his session? She looks angry… and worried. After a minute, Ron pointed straight at Daphne. What? Pomfrey gestured her over, and Daphne quickly made her way to them.
"Yes, Madam Pomfrey?" Daphne asked the Matron of the Hospital Wing.
"Did Mr. Weasley give you his supply of Calming Draught?" Pomfrey asked, and Daphne looked to Ron. He was just staring at her, and Daphne decided to tell the truth.
"Yes, he did" Daphne replied, and Pomfrey nodded firmly.
"He is not allowed anymore of it, make sure that he doesn't slip back into this new habit of his" Pomfrey commanded, and then she marched off towards the Great Hall. Daphne looked to Ron, and he was smiling now.
"I'm glad you told her the truth" Ron said. "I was worried that you would lie on my behalf, and then I'd get in even more trouble. She gave me a week's worth of detention, something that she has apparently never done before."
"What did you do?" Daphne asked, unable to hide her shock.
"I worried her a lot."
"Well… I know how that feels" Daphne responded, and he just stared at her. I hate it when he's on his Potion. This is not Ron, it's like I'm talking to his shadow.
"I'm sorry" Ron said suddenly, and Daphne blinked at him. "It must be terrible… being my friend." He had a somewhat sad look on his face, and he walked off before she could answer. Daphne followed him immediately, and she moved right next to him.
"We are having a chat after this Potion wears off" Daphne said firmly, and he nodded.
"Tomorrow? Sanctuary?" Ron asked.
"Lunch-time" Daphne agreed.
"What was that about?" Tracey asked Daphne as they neared the group.
"Ron just got a week's worth of detention from Pomfrey" Daphne told them, and they were all visibly surprised. Even Blaise cocked an eyebrow at Ron.
"What did you do?" Blaise asked.
"Something stupid" Ron shrugged. "Let's go inside, I need to talk to Hermione about something." Daphne fought the urge to cringe as her jealousy flared, why her? Why does he always talk to her? They're in different Houses, but he keeps going back to those three… tumors. Why?
"You want to talk to her in public?" Theo asked as they began walking. "Ron, don't be stupid. People in Slytherin don't like you associating with the Gryffindors. Especially those three."
"They always find reasons to be unhappy" Ron shrugged. "I'm done being dictated by others. I'm going to do what I think is best, and I won't ask you to be a part of it if you don't want to be."
"Fuck's sake…" Blaise mumbled. Malfoy is going to love this, isn't he? That Flint moron is talking to everyone in fourth and fifth year about Ron's 'priorities', but Malfoy is behind his actions. What kind of sixth year follows a second year's orders? Malfoy has something on him, and I need to find out what it is. If we take away Malfoy's leverage over Flint, he'll lose his strongest ally. Ron parted ways with them, and while they went to their usual seats, Ron went towards the Trio.
"He is starting to piss me off" Theo scowled as they sat down. Welcome to the club.
"Forget him, look at Malfoy" Tracey frowned deeply, and they all did as she instructed. The Malfoy heir was glaring at Ron as Ron spoke to Hermione, and his glare turned hateful when Hermione laughed and beamed about something. Malfoy then started talking to Flint and bunch of third year boys.
"Every fucking time we get rid of Malfoy, Ron gives him another reason to get back in the game" Theo sighed.
"So what? Ron's just supposed to stop living because Malfoy is a spoiled brat?" Millie asked, she was the only one excusing Ron's recent behavior.
"We're not saying that" Blaise replied. "We're saying that Ron needs to understand that he can't have it both ways. He can't be friends with those three, and still expect everyone in Slytherin to accept him. Those three are well-known for their open dislike of our House, and Ron being their friend is just… It's giving people a reason to doubt him. He can, and should, stay peaceful with them, but this… This blatantly open friendliness is too much."
"And now he doesn't care about what his own House thinks of him?" Theo added on. "This is going to turn into something bad if he doesn't stop. How many times have we been down this road already?"
"We should confront Malfoy" Pansy said firmly. "Without Ron."
"And do what?" Tracey asked.
"We can always beat the piss out of him" Millie said, her eyes fixed on Malfoy.
"That won't help us" Daphne sighed. "We need an actual plan. I reckon we get Flint to leave Malfoy, and then slowly take away Malfoy's other allies. And no, another party isn't the answer. That buys us time, but it doesn't solve the overall problem."
"You think he has something on Flint?" Pansy asked.
"Why else would a sixth year follow a second year around?" Daphne asked in return, and everyone thought about her words.
"Hello" came Ron's voice, and then he walked up and sat in-between Blaise and Theo.
"Nice chat?" Theo asked, and everyone just stared at Ron.
"It was" Ron nodded as he began making his plate. "I fixed a problem that I made for Hermione, and now we're meeting up on Friday for another study group session. You are all welcome, of course."
"I'll be there" Millie nodded.
"Me too" Daphne joined in. Even though I don't want to be. But I can't let him put himself in a situation where he is outnumbered.
"I'll join this time as well" Pansy piped in, and Ron smiled widely.
"Thank you, Pansy" Ron said, and Pansy slowly smiled back. "This is important to me, and I'm glad that you'll be there."
"Ron, what is your goal with this 'study group'?" Tracey asked, and both Blaise and Theo looked to him.
"I want to make an alliance of sorts" Ron admitted, and everyone leaned in. "Imagine if all of us second years were united, if we weren't fighting over something as silly as Houses? Can you imagine how much we could accomplish?"
"Silly?" Theo asked, clearly not happy about Ron's choice of words.
"Yes, silly" Ron nodded. "Being divided makes us all weaker, and I want to change that."
"All second years?" Pansy asked, her eyes shooting towards Malfoy. Ron followed her gaze, and he let out a sigh.
"I will give him every chance" Ron replied, and they all went wide-eyed. What the… fudge?!
"What?"
"Why?
"Have you lost your mind?"
"Ron, where is this coming from?" Daphne asked over them all. "What are you really doing?"
"Preparing for the Future" Ron replied, and she had to grit her teeth because of his response. Her chest tightened out of anger and frustration, why was he being this way? He was so great to be around in Paris, but now that they were here, he was a complete stranger. I'm going to kill him tomorrow!
Tuesday 5th May, 1993 (Sanctuary – Lunch)
The moment Daphne entered the Sanctuary, she made her way straight towards Ron. He was sitting in his favorite chair, and he gave her welcoming smile. I'm going to slap that smile clean off of his face!
"Get up!" Daphne hissed, and Ron blinked. "I've kept my anger in check all day, but now that we're alone, you're so… dead!"
"Wait…" Ron said slowly as he stood up, his hands up in surrender.
"No!" Daphne yelled. "I'm going to kill you!"
"Oh shite!" Ron yelled as he ran behind a couch. "Daphne, please…"
"Shut up!" Daphne snapped, and panic crossed his face. "Over a week! You had me worried mad for over a week! You didn't say anything! Didn't tell me a single thing! And now you want to act like it never happened?! You are so… so fucking stupid!" Daphne eyes suddenly widened at using such a word, and so did Ron's.
"Merlin…" Ron muttered, he knew now that he was doomed. The Entity could fuck off because Daphne was going to kill him right here and now. Instead of feeling horrified by her own language, Daphne took the chance to climb over the couch and catch Ron unaware. "Oh fuck…" Ron managed as he bolted towards the training area, but Daphne was hot on his tail. Come here!
"Stop!" Daphne ordered as Ron hid behind a dummy. "Stop being a coward! How could you do this to everyone?! We showed you how much we cared! We stepped forward and promised to help you, and then you just ran off! Like our help meant nothing to you! You've been cold, and even cruel towards us, for over a week! You're a terrible friend! You're a bad person, Ronald Weasley!" Something shifted in his face, and he stopped moving about. Daphne rounded the dummy and grabbed his arm, but he just stood still. "Got you!" Daphne gloated as she dug her fingers into his arm. Daphne then glared at him, but he was just looking really sad. "What?" Daphne hissed. "Why do you have that look on your face?"
"You just said something that I've always been…" Ron sighed. "You just said something that I've always feared to be true." What thing? "That I'm a bad person." Daphne blinked at him, did she really say that? No! He is not getting out of this so easily! Daphne dug her fingers in with more strength, but he didn't even seem to feel it.
"UGH!" Daphne groaned. "Why aren't you screaming?! Doesn't this hurt?!"
"It does" Ron replied, and Daphne cursed his tolerance for pain. "But I've been through worse."
"You made Pansy cry five separate times!" Daphne yelled at him, and he flinched. "Millie spent all week defending your actions, but even she was hurt when you threatened to 'beat our arses into the dirt'! How could you say that?! Blaise and Theo having been worried sick, but they're so damn stubborn that they just put up with your behavior silently! Tracey repeatedly asked me to talk to you, but you just blew me off! And so she took her anger out on me!" Daphne grit her teeth, she could kill Ron right now and not feel guilty.
"And you?" Ron swallowed thickly. "What did you go through because of me?"
"What do you think?!" she yelled as she tossed his arm aside, her pinching wasn't even affecting him. "I paced my damn room most nights, I tried to find you whenever you disappeared, I even summoned Marty but he just refused to tell me! How he did that is beyond me?!"
"I bought Marty from your father" Ron told her, and she blinked.
"And why didn't you tell me that?!" Daphne's anger was re-ignited. "You just… You just do whatever you please, right?! Damn everyone else, right?! You selfish prat!"
"Do you want to hit me?" Ron asked, his voice strained. Daphne blinked at him, and something stirred in her chest. She clenched her right hand into a fist, and she pulled back her arm. But she didn't hit him, instead she just glared murder at him. "Hit me. It'll hurt your hand, but it'll make you feel better."
"Don't patronize me, Ron!" Daphne shrieked, her fist shaking. Don't hit him, that's taking things too far.
"I'm not" Ron told her. "I want you to hit me."
"Why?" Daphne hissed.
"Because it'll make you feel better, and I deserve it" Ron straightened his back. "Go on, I won't hold it against you."
"I'll hit you right in your big nose" Daphne warned, why was he pushing her? Didn't he know that she wanted nothing more than to hit him? "You think you can run off, and just come back whenever you please? You think we don't feel hurt when you threaten us? You… You are the worst person that I've ever met… All you do is hurt people, and then you just expect us to come back to you? To just forgive you?"
"Daphne, don't cry" Ron muttered, his own eyes welling up.
"I'm not crying!" Daphne shrieked. Was she? I am, aren't I? Daphne dropped her fist, and she sat down with her knees tucked into her stomach. And then she started sobbing.
"Daphne" Ron quickly sat down with her, and he put his hand on her back. She immediately shoved him away, and he fell onto his back.
"Don't touch me!" Daphne howled, and then she let out a wet cough. "You ran off, and I was so scared… that I barely slept. I sent so many letters… to father… and he didn't even reply to me…" Daphne sniffled loudly, and Ron just watched her with teary eyes. "I thought that I had… finally made you open up… to everyone. But you… You just can't do it… You don't want to, and I'm sick of it…" Ron sat back up, and he put his arm around her. She wanted to throw him off again, but she also wanted them to stay like this.
"I'm… I'm sorry" Ron sniffled, she hadn't seen him cry before.
"Why did you leave like that?" Daphne coughed out. "Why did you drink so many Potions? Tell me… please… All I can think about is your brain damage, and it's… it's killing me…" Ron tensed immensely, but he also tightened his hug.
"I…" Ron started, but stopped. He then squeezed her so tightly that it hurt, and she could hear him gnashing his teeth. "Daphne… There's a war… There's a war coming, and I know it for certain…" Daphne looked up at that, and she could see that he was struggling to even speak. He was crying, and he looked scared. He looked so scared that Daphne herself began trembling slightly. "People… People are going to die, and I think I'm…" he just stopped.
"Ron?" she muttered, she was honestly left slack-jawed by his words. "War? What war? Is this what you mean by the Dark Lord returning?" Ron's eyes widened, and he let out strained squeak. "Ron? Ron, what's wrong?" And then she saw something that froze her blood. Blood began to leak out of his nose, and he shook slightly as he toppled over. "RON!" Daphne screamed, her hands falling on him immediately. "RON! WHAT'S WRONG?!" Ron let out a blood-curdling scream, and Daphne watched in utter horror as his eyes began to bleed.
"Help me…" Ron cried out. "It's killing… me…" It?! The Brain-Damage?! Daphne suddenly broke out of her horror, and she grabbed his arm and put it around her neck. And then, with strength that she didn't even know that she possessed, she hauled him up. Fuck! FUCK! What do I do?!
"Merlin… Merlin…" Daphne found herself chanting as she dragged him with her, he wasn't completely dead-weight but he was close to it. "Ron, don't die! Don't die! Oh Merlin…" she recited hysterically. She was crying, hauling Ron, fear-wracked to the point of insanity, and she was pretty sure that she was about to vomit. But she didn't stop moving forward. She held his torso tightly as she yanked the door to the Sanctuary open, and she dragged Ron outside. "HELP ME! PLEASE! ANYBODY!" Ron lost the strength in his legs, and they both fell over. Daphne ignored her aching back and jaw, and she quickly turned him over. He had passed out, and the blood stains on his face made her scream from fear. "RON! FUCK!" Daphne shot up and ran towards the moving staircase, her vision completely blurry from tears of fear. "HELP! PLEASE! SOMEONE!"
Ronald Weasley's POV
The Dream World
The Dream Hogwarts was colder than usual, and even more… lifeless. There were no beautiful lights in the sky, and everything was just… dead. Ron stood in the Courtyard, his mind racing with what was happening. Was he dead? He was just talking to Daphne, wasn't he? He was just telling her of the upcoming war, wasn't he? Why did he do that? He knew why. Seeing her like that, seeing the sheer amount of pain that he had been causing her, it had broken his resolve to be secretive completely. She hated him for it, but she was still loyal to him. He had put them all through hell, while he himself had spent a 'stress-free' week. All they wanted to do was help him, but he was too busy with… the Entity. Daphne was hurt to the point of crying hysterically, and he was at fault.
"Champion" came the Entity's voice from behind him, and Ron turned around slowly. He was afraid, but that fear was being overridden by absolute fucking rage right now. "You have overstepped your bounds, and now we have…"
"Shut the fuck up" Ron spat at the perverted visage of Dumbledore, and it blinked at him. "Where have you been? Where did you run off to? I've been calling you for over a week."
"We are not your pet" the Entity hissed, and then it vanished from sight. "And you will speak to us with respect" came its voice from just behind Ron. Ron turned around quickly, and he stepped away from his 'father'.
"Where did you go?" Ron asked again, his jaw clenching.
"We have… hobbies" the Entity grinned maliciously, and Ron shuddered at the thought. "You have retrieved the fang, a pointless action…"
"You don't know about that?" Ron blinked. "I got it a week ago…" Something ignited in his chest, and Ron found himself just being done with the Entity's games. "I have questions about the previous Cycles."
"Do you now?" the Entity mocked. "Very well, you may ask them. After all, you will be dead within a few minutes." Ron felt a wave of fear run rampant throughout his body, and the Entity's grin grew to a disturbing level.
"Dead?" Ron managed, his voice trembling.
"We told you that we wouldn't let you live if you disobeyed us, and we aim to keep our promise."
"I see…" Ron looked down at his feet, his head spinning. "So this Cycle… My Cycle… It's over?"
"You are another failure, we will try again."
"A failure" Ron muttered, and then he looked back at the Entity with tired eyes. "Tell me, how many Cycles have there been so far?" The Entity just stared through him, its gaze terrifying and hungry.
"You are the four-hundred and sixty-fourth Cycle."
"Fuck me…" Ron was left shaken down to his very core by the Entity's reply.
"You, just like your predecessors, are a pathetic little cockroach. One that refuses to listen, one that…"
"How many Rons have you killed?" Ron cut it off, his legs shaking slightly. He didn't want to die, but if he was going to, then he'd at least get some answers. "How many Cycles have ended simply because you decided to end them?"
"One hundred and ninety, including yours" the Entity replied, it sounded so pleased with itself that Ron felt bile at the back of his throat. Ron's legs gave out, and he fell onto his arse. His eyes blurred from tears, and he let out a dry laugh.
"You evil… monster…" Ron managed. "You damn… demon from hell… You are the worst thing that's ever happened to anyone…"
"Is this how you are going to die? Muttering like some mad-man?"
"You're killing me… because you think that you know what's best…" Ron spoke to himself, how could his life end like this? How could he die without ever truly living? He'd never get to see his family again. He'd never get to hold Ginny and Luna's hands again. He'd never get to paint with Pandora, joke around with Sirius and Remus, or hunt for creatures with Xeno. He'd never get to tell the twins that he loved them, he'd never get to see Charlie and Percy again. And Bill? He hadn't seen Bill in so long. He'd never get the chance to fix his relationship with his parents, to tell them that he was sorry for everything. And that he only ever wanted them to be proud of him, like they were proud of the other children. And what of his friends? They'd all die in the war to come, and he wouldn't even be there to help them. What about Lord Greengrass, Mary, and little Tori? What about Daphne? How could he fail everyone like this?
And that's when it hit Ron, he was supposed to be pissed off. He was supposed to fight back, and not just keel over and die. Ron shot the Entity a hateful glare, and then he shot up to his feet. "You psychotic piece of shite!" The Entity grinned at that. "I have you all figured out! I know why you're such a hateful cunt towards me, and I know why you think everything is my fault!"
"Is that so?" the Entity asked. "Amuse us then. Share your insight."
"Four-hundred and sixty-four fucking Cycles, and you still can't kill a single man?" Ron mocked, his common sense lost to hysteria. "YOU?! A being that can see all of Time, and yet you keep failing?!"
"Do not throw your faults upon us…"
"I don't think I am!" Ron yelled, and the Entity lost its grin. "I've been thinking about nothing but you, and I finally see it. Tell me, why didn't you warn me about the Veelas before I went to the finals? Why didn't you tell me about Ginny being possessed, or her petrifying me? Why didn't you tell me about the Dark Lord attacking me during the Philosopher Stone heist? You want a successful Cycle, right? And yet, I could have died in any one of those scenarios!"
"You didn't."
"Yeah, I didn't… But not because of you!" Ron exclaimed, a disdainful look on his face. "Cycle Eighty-Three died 'destroying something out of his power', didn't he?" The Entity's eyes widened a bit, and Ron knew for certain now that he was right. "You told me that you'd never let me 'fool you again', and that makes no fucking sense to me. How can I fool an 'All-seeing' being like you? You can see the Future, can't you? Why even bother manipulating me when you already know how I'm going to react? And that's when it hit me… You can't see my fucking Future. You have… no control over me, do you? And that's why you hate me. That's why you torment me, that's why you try and break my spirit at every turn, and that's why you're ending my Cycle."
"You little…"
"Shut up!" Ron yelled, and the Entity snarled in a terrifying manner. "FOUR HUNDRED AND SIXTY FOUR CYCLES! All of them different! All of them with their own personalities due to their own experiences! And yet, we all failed?! HOW?!"
"You dare…"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Ron screamed so loudly that his lungs hurt. "You are the only thing that is consistent in every Cycle! Don't you understand that, you despicable bastard?! YOU! This whole year… NO! My whole fucking life, you have been my biggest problem! You hurt me constantly, you make me have sleepless nights, you gave me brain-damage, and now you're killing me! All because I refuse to serve you! FUCK YOU! We both keep failing because of you! Because you are a fucking stupid prick! AN IDIOTIC, TANTRUM-THROWING CUNT!" The Entity moved with the speed of lightning, and it punched Ron so hard that his teeth scattered everywhere. Ron didn't even feel the ground when he landed on it, his brain had simply turned off.
"Insolent wretch!" the Entity shrieked as it grabbed Ron's hair, but Ron was gone at this point. The Entity's punch had sent him into a stupor, and he hung lifelessly in the air. "We will make you beg for mercy! Death will seem like a welcome embrace after we are done with you!"
"I'll…" Ron mumbled, blood and shards of teeth spilling out of his mouth. This was it, wasn't it? He was going to die, all of his struggles ending simply because of a moment of honesty. All he had wanted was for Daphne to know that he never meant to cause her pain… that he wasn't a bad person. All he had ever truly wanted was to protect the people that he loved, but the evil demon in his head wouldn't let him. Death is better than being its slave… I won't live like this… I can't… I'm sorry for failing… I'm sorry… Ron felt himself being thrown across the Courtyard, and he heard a sickening crunch when he landed. Mum… Dad… Ginny… Luna…
"Burn…" came the Entity's distorted voice, but Ron's eyes were fixed to the black sky. I hope they all live… I hope none of them waste a second mourning me… I hope Daphne tells them what I told her… I hope they all make the right choices, unlike me… The Entity was raving on about something, but Ron couldn't even make out a single word. He was pretty much dead already, his vision slowly darkening. And yet, he wasn't afraid. He had tried his best. He had fought, and now his fight was over. He wasn't a perfect person, he had made many mistakes along the way. But he would rather die free than to live as the Entity's slave. So many Cycles… and they always end with my death… We will never succeed… The Entity can never succeed… It can't understand us… We are always fighting for control, and it always ends with failure… Ron simply shut his eyes, it was over.
But that's when he heard a thunderous noise, and much to his astonishment, the sky was torn apart by a golden beam of light which slammed into the ground near Ron. He was sent barreling away because of the impact, and he landed with his head facing the castle entrance. If he wasn't so out of it, he'd have been stunned out of his mind at the sight before him. The golden beam was slamming down upon a screaming Entity, and it was crushing the Entity into the ground.
"NO! LET US GO! FOOLISH BITCH!" the Entity screamed, its visage distorting horribly. "WE WILL NOT BE SEALED AWAY WITHIN THE CHAMPION! WE ARE A GOD!" Ron had no idea what was happening, but he could see that the Entity was in pain, and that was good enough for Ron. Even if he was going to die, he at least had a chance to see the Entity suffer a little. The Entity's body broke apart into a thick, black fog which was riddled with crimson toad-like eyes of varying sizes, and Ron felt utter horror course throughout his dying body. It was a horrendous sight, and the Entity's screams made it a thousand times worse. But Ron kept looking. The entrance to the castle slammed open, and the Entity was sucked inside as if there was a vortex within the castle. "CHAMPION! YOU WILL..." the doors slammed shut, and the Dream World fell into complete silence. Ron closed his eyes, and he let the darkness take him.
The Dream World
She had made a mistake. She should've ended this Cycle the moment the Champion's mind was 'cracked'. She had underestimated the Star of Madness. It was a crafty being, and It was far too clever to be tied down so easily. It had been siphoning energy from the small piece of the Lord of Serpents' soul, and It had been steadily gaining the power to attack the beings surrounding the Champion. She had given It the power to influence the Phoenix for the Champion's benefit, but this… This ability to cause pain to a creature so pure? The Entity had once again shown her the error of her ways. But the Cycles could not be broken, the spell that she had used was permanent until its conditions were met. The Cycles would never stop, not until her Champion succeeded. Or until her Brother lost his patience and attacked this Universe. So much Death would be unleashed… And all because of one mortal's desire to be Immortal.
"You have your 'freedom', Champion" She said as she gazed upon his sleeping form. "We will meet once the Lord of Serpents truly lives again. We will speak of what we always speak of, and I will watch for your success." She then looked towards the castle, and she could feel the Star of Madness thrashing about inside. She extended her arms, and a golden shield began to engulf the castle. She would not let the Entity influence this Cycle anymore, It could not be trusted while it had that soul-shard in Its grasp. This was something that had never happened before, and so she had been caught off-guard. But no more. She would seal the Entity away. It would be nothing more than a guard dog, one that would unleash Its wrath upon anyone that entered the Champion's mind. No more visions, no more 'help'… The Champion would have his 'freedom', but it would come at the cost of fighting alone. The Entity had already set the Champion upon a different path, one that may yet bear fruit.
She was forbidden from directly acting in favor of one mortal, but that didn't mean that she couldn't let the Champion keep fighting. That was the sole reason why she had chosen him. He'd fight. He'd fight until his dying breath for the people around him. He had failed to do that once, and it had resulted in this endless mess. But once his task was done, she would set him free. Truly free.
Harry Potter's POV
Tuesday 5th May, 1993 (Outside of the Hospital Wing – Evening)
Classes had been cancelled for the day because all the Professors were currently in the Hospital Wing, while all of the students were just loitering about. Most had gone back to their common rooms, others were spending their day in the castle's grounds. As for Harry and his friends, they were sitting outside of the Hospital Wing. Ron had suffered from… something, and he had been sealed away inside the Hospital Wing.
Harry remembered just eating his lunch, and noting that both Ron and Greengrass were missing from the Great Hall. And then, it was pandemonium. Sir Nearly-Headless Nick had flown in screaming bloody murder about a student who was dying, and the Professors had raced out of the Great Hall with frightening speed. A lot of curious students, including the Trio, had followed after the Professors to see what was happening. And that's when Harry had caught a glimpse of a bloodied Ron being hauled off by Snape. Greengrass was being consoled by Professors Sprout and McGonagall, all the while Dumbledore was ordering everyone to leave for their common rooms.
And now here they were, all of them sitting outside of the Hospital Wing, simply waiting for answers. Neville was currently consoling a distraught Hermione, Ron's brothers were panicking but also consoling Ginny and Luna, Greengrass was just sobbing to herself as Ron's Slytherin friends consoled her, and Harry was just staring at the closed door with a furrowed brow. He wanted to be let inside so that he could see Ron, he wanted some semblance of news about his friend. What had happened? Why was Ron's face covered in blood? Why were he and Greengrass not at lunch? Harry had so many questions, but he held himself back from demanding answers. The door to Hospital Wing parted slightly, and everyone was on their feet instantly. Snape slid outside, his expression lifeless as always.
"Ms. Greengrass, come with me" Snape ordered, and Greengrass sniffled and did as she was told.
"What about us?" Fred asked, his voice loud and panicked. "We're his family!"
"Is he alright, Professor?" Percy jumped in as he shot Fred a silencing glance. "That's all that we want to know. Is he going to be alright?" Snape just stared at Percy, and then he nodded curtly.
"He is stable now, and out of immediate danger" Snape responded, his almost sympathetic voice jarring Harry. With that, Snape and Greengrass disappeared from sight as the door closed once again.
"Why does she get to see him?" Ginny bit out, her face blotchy from crying.
"The Professors probably want to know what happened" Percy replied as he put his arm around Ginny. "She was there with him when… when he got hurt, and she called for help. She saved his life."
"What if she caused this?" Ginny asked in a panic.
"She would never hurt him" Luna piped in, her voice not as airy as usual. Everyone looked at Luna, but she just stared at the closed door. What's that supposed to mean? Harry shot a look towards the Slytherins, and they all looked nerve-wracked. Parkinson was crying, Davis was teary-eyed and consoling Parkinson, Bulstrode was pacing, while Zabini and Nott were speaking in hushed whispers. They know something. Harry found himself walking up to them before he could even think otherwise.
"Do you know what happened to Ron?" Harry asked bluntly, and the Slytherins all just stared at him. Harry looked to Nott and Zabini with a determined look, but they just didn't seem to care about his question. "I know that Greengrass must've told you something, and you need to tell us."
"Need?" Nott hissed. "Fuck off, Potter. I don't care about your 'needs'." Harry clenched his jaw at Nott, Slytherins were the worst of the worst. Bullies, and Dark-Wizards in training.
"His family is worried sick, and you want to hide things?" Harry accused.
"We can't hide what we don't know" Zabini sighed as he nudged Nott, who then walked over to sit with the girls. "Daphne was not in any state to tell us what happened, we're as clueless as you." He's lying, they know something and they are hiding it.
"You're lying" Harry hissed, his hands clenching into fists. "What were you two just discussing then? This is not the time for secrets, you can help everyone here."
"Take your self-righteous attitude out of my face, Potter" Zabini warned, their eyes clashing. "We may have put up with your holier-than-thou outlook while we 'worked' together, but don't think for a second that I give a shite about what you want. Now piss off, before I put you in a bed right next to Ron."
"Harry? Everything alright?" came Neville's voice from behind him.
"Zabini and Nott know something" Harry said loudly. "And they're keeping it from us." Everyone's eyes shot to the Slytherins, who all took on guarded looks.
"Tell us what happened?" Fred demanded.
"We don't know anything" Nott replied as he stood up. "We were in the Great Hall, same as all of you."
"What about Greengrass?" Hermione shot up. "She knew something, and I doubt that she wouldn't tell you lot."
"Guys, stop it" Neville stepped in front of the Slytherins. "We're here for Ron, stop fighting each other."
"Neville, they are hiding something important" Harry frowned at the Slytherins, why was Neville defending them?
"Step out of the way, Neville" George ordered, suddenly getting riled up just like Fred.
"That's enough" Percy ordered. "If you can't behave, then go back to your common rooms." Hermione sat back down at that, and even Harry was a little discouraged, but Ron's siblings went ballistic.
"Should've expected that from you" Fred snapped.
"Perfect prefect Percy protecting the 'peace'…" George snarled.
"Leave him alone" Ginny shot up. "Why are you two always picking on him?" Even Percy was surprised by her defending him, but then Ginny turned to the Slytherin. "You'd better tell us what you know."
"We don't know anything" Zabini repeated.
"You're his friends, you have to know something" George stated.
"And you're his siblings, shouldn't you?" Nott retorted, and twins glared murder at him.
"We're leaving" Davis said suddenly, and she grabbed both Slytherin boys by their arms and started dragging them away. Parkinson and Bulstrode glared at Harry, and then started following their friends.
"You can't just…" Harry started, but Neville stepped in front of him. "What are you doing?"
"Stop it" Neville said firmly. "You're making everything worse by starting a fight."
"I'm no…" Harry started, but Neville cut him off.
"Everyone is scared, and you started a witch-hunt" Neville frowned, and Harry, for the first time, realized that Neville was taller than him. "How is that going to help Ron? And now, you're the reason why his friends were forced to leave."
"They left because they have something to hide" Harry shot back as he watched the Slytherins turn the corner. "They know more about him than us, and they won't tell us because they're a bunch of selfish gits." And why are you suddenly on their side?
"They may know more about him, but they might also be just as confused as the rest of us" Neville sighed. "And they're probably twice as scared as you and me."
"That's…" Harry went to deny, but Neville cut him off again.
"They're his closest friends, and you need to accept that" Neville said, and Harry clenched his jaw at Neville. "They were here to find out what happened, and you turned everyone against them."
"Not everyone" Harry frowned at Neville. "Why are you siding with them?"
"Guys" came Hermione's voice, and she huddled into their conversation. "Why are you two fighting? Everyone is staring at you."
"Neville wants to defend the Slytherins" Harry accused, his temper flaring at Neville for not taking his side.
"I saw that" Hermione replied as she looked to Neville. "Why are you, of all people, defending them? They were clearly hiding something?"
"I was trying to stop a fight from breaking out" Neville defended himself. "Percy agreed with me." Hermione blinked at that, and she averted her gaze.
"But the rest of us didn't" Harry shot back.
"The rest of them are scared, and you sent them into a frenzy by giving them someone to blame" Neville frowned deeply. "You think Ron is going to appreciate you making his allies and friends into scapegoats?"
"Allies?" Hermione cocked an eyebrow, and then she sighed. "More Pure-Blood jargon…"
"It isn't jargon" Neville shot back hotly. "Ron sees the world like that, and…"
"No, he doesn't" Hermione bit out. "He doesn't bully people, or judge them for their Blood-Status."
"I'm not having this argument again" Neville shook his head. "Respecting the old ways and being a bigot are two separate things, and I'm not going to waste my breath explaining that to you two."
"Fine, go and talk to your Slytherin friends then" Harry snapped, and Neville flinched a bit.
"I'll ignore that because we're all scared" Neville responded, and Harry immediately felt a great amount of guilt for saying something so cruel. Neville's eyes then widened at something behind Harry, and both Harry and Hermione turned to look. It was Sirius and Remus, and they were bolting like they were being chased by the hounds of hell.
"Sirius!" Harry called, and Sirius came to a sliding stop as he saw Harry.
"Harry!" Sirius exclaimed, his face covered in sweat. Remus stopped right behind Sirius, and he immediately made his way to Ron's siblings while Sirius approached the Trio. "What happened? I just got word about the pup."
"Pup?" Hermione asked.
"He means Ron" Harry explained, and then he looked to his panting Godfather. "He collapsed on the seventh floor, and his face was all bloody." Sirius's eyes widened, and he paled slightly. "How did you hear about it so fast?"
"Oh…" Sirius panted. "Fawkes, Dumbledore's bird, showed up in the living room. It was dropping off letters to us all, telling us of what happened."
"Us?" Hermione asked.
"The adults" Sirius replied, and then he turned to the closed door. Sirius then walked up and pushed the doors open, and Harry made to follow. "Harry, stay out here" Sirius ordered, and Harry frowned.
"No, he's my…" Harry started, but Remus quickly shot past him.
"Harry, let the adults handle this" Sirius said gently as he cupped Harry's left cheek. "Once it's all sorted, then you can see him." With that, Sirius closed the door. That's not fair! Why are they keeping us in the dark?! Harry then heard more footsteps, and he turned to see Mr. and Mrs. Greengrass approaching. Mrs. Greengrass looked rather distraught, but Mr. Greengrass held a stoic look as he walked down calmly. The last time I saw him in Hogwarts, he strong-armed Dumbledore. Harry moved aside as Mrs. Greengrass went inside without even a second glance at anyone, whereas Harry's eyes met Mr. Greengrass'. The man had cold eyes, and Harry found himself staring at him. He cocked an eyebrow at Harry, and then proceeded to follow his wife inside.
"Mum!" Ginny called out and Harry turned to see Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and Mr. and Mrs. Lovegood running down. They looked haggard, and Mrs. Weasley was still wearing an apron. The adults all stopped at the Weasley siblings and Luna, and they no doubt started questioning them.
"Harry, step away from the door" Hermione said gently, and Harry walked over to her. "Poor Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, they look so terrified." They do, but who can blame them? Mr. Weasley was still wearing his work clothes, and his entire face was red and blotchy. Mrs. Weasley was in tears, while the Lovegoods were putting a failing brave face. The family members were talking to each other rather frantically, and then the adults quickly moved into the Hospital Wing. And then much to Harry's surprise, Luna and Weasleys began to leave.
"Where are they going?" Neville asked.
"Let's ask them" Hermione suggested, and then all three of them caught up to the Weasleys and Luna.
"Where are you guys going?" Harry asked Percy, and Percy let out a tired sigh.
"Mum wants us to take the girls away from here, and dad backed her" Percy replied. "They said that they'd let us know when all of this was sorted." That's what Sirius said as well. "I suggest you three join us, or at least go back to the common room. They won't be done anytime soon." With that, they all left with rather dejected looks. Harry, Hermione, and Neville were the only ones left behind.
"Do we go with them?" Hermione asked Harry, she didn't look like she wanted to.
"I reckon we should" Neville piped in. "We can't do anything for Ron right now, and sitting out here isn't good for us. That's why the Weasleys and Luna left."
"We should wait" Harry looked to Hermione. "Greengrass has to come out eventually, and we can ask her about Ron."
"She won't tell us anything" Neville sighed, why was Harry so gung-ho about antagonizing Ron's friends? Sure, they all hated Slytherin House. And they had every reason to, but still… Ron and his friends weren't like the rest of the snakes, they didn't bully or mock everyone in the school. If anything, Ron and his friends were a separate entity from the houses. Ron did as he pleased, and his friends backed him no matter what.
"Then we make her tell us" Hermione frowned.
"What? You're gonna torture her, or something?" Neville asked, and she frowned more deeply.
"I didn't say that" Hermione denied. "We corner her, and tell her to tell us everything. He's our friend too, and we have the right to know what she knows."
"Then you can do that alone" Neville shook his head, and Harry blinked at him. "She's been through hell today, and I'm not cornering her and causing her more distress." Harry sighed deeply at that, Neville was right. Greengrass looked absolutely devastated, not to mention that she had nearly seen her friend die. And Harry knew that Ron and Greengrass were extremely close, so close that it was almost weird.
"Harry? What do you reckon?" Hermione asked him. Ugh… I want to know more, but Neville makes a great a point. I don't want Ron to be angry with us for going after Greengrass, Merlin knows that the last time we did that he was… murderous.
"Bugger…" Harry huffed, and then he looked to Neville. "You're right, let's not push her any further." Neville smiled in approval, whereas Hermione just sighed.
"Fine, but he'd better tell us everything when he wakes up" Hermione muttered to herself.
Ronald Weasley's POV
Wednesday 6th May, 1993 (Hospital Wing – Late in the Night)
Ron woke up with a start, and he instantly tried to stand up. If the Entity wanted to kill him, then Ron would at least give it bloody nose before he went down. The first thing Ron realized was that he couldn't see anything, the second thing he realized was that there was no solid ground to his right, and the third thing he realized was that that falling on your face really fucking hurt. There was a lot of movement and distorted noise from around him, and Ron sprang up to his feet.
"You want a fight, you cunt?!" Ron demanded as he put his fists up. "I will fuck you up!"
"RONALD!" came his mother's horrified voice, and Ron stopped snarling.
"Mum?" Ron muttered, what the fuck was going on? Where's the Entity? And then it all hit Ron at once. The Entity had tried to kill him, they had argued, the Entity had sucker-punched Ron, and then there was a golden beam of pure light that had fucked the Entity up. But I'm supposed to be dead, aren't I? No, wait… 'She' interfered, didn't she? What happened to the Entity? It got sucked back into the Dream Hogwarts.
"Ron…" came his mother's voice again, and Ron felt a gentle hand on his right shoulder.
"Mum? I can't see anything…" Ron replied, and then he tried to check his face. His mother stopped him immediately by grabbing his hands.
"Ron, your eyes are bandaged" Molly told her son, and then she guided him back to the bed. Pandora and Mary were just watching with shocked expressions, Ron's awakening had been… startling.
"Bandaged?" Ron asked. "Did I have another Subconjunctival hemorrhage?"
"Yes, you did" came Pandora's voice, and Ron felt someone grab his left hand.
"Pandora? Who else is here?" Ron asked, he didn't enjoy being blind.
"I'm here too, Ron" came Mary's voice, and Ron remembered that Daphne was with him when he was attacked by the Entity. Fuck! What if it attacked her too?!
"Daphne? Where is she?" Ron asked, something that made all three women blink. "Is she alright? She was with me when…" Ron trailed off.
"She is asleep in her dorm" Mary told Ron, once again he had asked for Daphne immediately. Just how close were the pair of them? "She is safe, although very shaken by what she witnessed."
"What she witnessed?" Ron asked slowly.
"Ron, you suffered from a seizure of sorts" his mother replied, her voice was rather hoarse. Has she been crying? "Pomfrey says that you were exhausted, and that your Magical Core had become unstable." Fucking Entity! That psychotic bastard tried to off me because I called it out on its Hippogriff-shite! I hope that beam of light hurt, you fucker!
"Ron, you need to rest" Pandora said as she caressed his forehead, and Ron found himself relaxing under her soft touch.
"My face hurts…" Ron muttered, he was sure that his fall must've been a hilarious sight.
"Were you having a bad dream?" Pandora asked, and Ron cocked his head. You could say that, I suppose. "You shot out of your bed, and then…" Ron's face flushed as he remembered his words.
"Oh… Yeah…" Ron hung his head. "Sorry…" The three women exchanged looks, and they held back their laughter. Despite his actions, seeing him awake was pure relief.
"Ronald Weasley, who taught you to speak like that?" his mother demanded with wide smile that he couldn't see, and Ron shrank into his bed because of her tone.
"No one…" Ron replied meekly. She is going to finish what the Entity started, isn't she?
"In all of my days…" Molly huffed as she did her best to hide her amusement. "Never have I heard such foulness spill out of someone's mouth." That can't be true.
"Sorry…" Ron mumbled, his ears turning red. The three motherly-figures in his life had just seen a side of him that he never wanted them to see. Ron knew that his foul language was a problem, but he couldn't stop himself. He loved cussing.
"Go to sleep, Ronald Weasley" Molly ordered. "We will speak of this in the morning." The morning? I need to find out what happened to the Entity? Is it dead? Fucking hell, I hope so.
Wednesday 6th May, 1993 (Hospital Wing – Morning)
It wasn't often that Ron found himself at the end of so much ridicule, but this morning was special. The moment he had woken up, he had been subjected to a scolding that had made him shrink a few feet into his bed. Everyone from his mother to Sirius Black had taken Ron to the Quidditch shed, so to speak. Turns out that the letters Daphne had sent to her father had also been shown to all of the other adults, and so they all knew how Ron had been behaving for the last week or so. They knew that he had been abusing his Potions, they knew that he had been cold and distant with his friends, and they knew that he was failing at managing his stress. What they didn't know was why, and Ron decided to keep the Entity a secret. He had no fucking clue on what had happened to it, and so he decided not to risk being killed by it.
However, when Ron couldn't provide them with a suitable answer, he had been torn several new ones. Even Pandora had told him of how stupid it was to 'distance himself from the people that loved him'. As sappy as that had sounded, it had still made Ron mope about while the next person took a shot at him. Not to mention that Pomfrey had also joined in on the fun, much to Ron's shock. But thankfully, she had kept their private conversations to herself. She more or less just wanted to berate him as well, which was fair enough because he had been particularly weird with her. If Pomfrey ever mentioned their insane conversation about Ron being 'omniscient', they'd lock him up in St. Mungo's.
"Can I please take these bandages off?" Ron asked.
"No" came Pomfrey scolding voice, and Ron frowned deeply. I can't see shite. And I'm hungry. And I have a million questions about the Entity.
"Ron, you already know that the Potion used to clean your eyes needs to set in first" Mary said gently.
"Will I have those creepy eyes again?" Ron asked, half-annoyed and half-excited. It was fun to scare people, I won't deny that.
"Yes, Mr. Weasley" came Snape's drawled voice. What the…? How many fucking people are in here? "But they should heal within the week."
"Should?" Sirius asked, a certain edge to his tone. "Not good at your job, Sniv…"
"Stop it" came his father's voice, and Ron heard someone walk away. Was that Snape? "Ron… Son… Do you want anything?" Ron felt his father's hand on his right shoulder. I want to know what 'She' did to the Entity, but I'll settle for some food. And Daphne. We fought, and then I… I have to see her.
"Daphne?" Ron asked. "Is she awake? I want her to know that I'm fine." The adults exchanged looks, and Sirius fought the urge to grin in front of the girl's parents.
"She'll be here soon, I imagine" Lord Greengrass said. "Which reminds me, I have a business meeting in twenty minutes. Ron, take this weekend off. No studying, no Chess, and no pushing yourself. Understood?"
"Yes, my Lord" Ron replied, he wasn't too keen on refusing after the scolding he had just received.
"We'd best be off too" Remus said. "Sirius?" It's the start of the month, Remus must have transformed recently.
"Yeah, kid don't push yourself for Merlin's sake" Sirius said, and Ron felt someone squeeze his right shin in a comforting manner.
"I won't" Ron replied. One by one they all left, until Ron's parents and the Lovegoods were the only ones left.
"I'm late for work" his father said tiredly.
"Dad, please go" Ron smiled. "I'm fine, there's no need to skip out on work."
"Thank you, son" Arthur smiled as he squeezed Ron's shoulder. And then he too left.
"Are you hungry?" his mother asked, and Ron nodded. "I'll get Pomfrey to bring you some food." OH SHITE! NOT HOSPITAL FOOD!
"Um… that's okay…" Ron muttered. "I'm not that hungry…"
"Nonsense" Molly frowned. "You're all skin and bones, Ronnie."
"That's not even remotely true" Ron shot back, he was rather proud of his fit physique. "I'm rather well-toned, just ask anyone."
"He is" Pandora laughed lightly. "Do you still run every morning?"
"I do" Ron grinned proudly. And I train on most days, but I'll keep that to myself.
"Well, there will be no more of that for the next week" Molly tutted. "You are pushing yourself too hard, and I will bring you straight home if it doesn't stop."
"Alright, I'll stop" Ron lied. Never!
"Mr. Weasley" came Pomfrey's voice. "I have brought you some food." Oh, fuck me!
"Perhaps Ron would prefer something less… gooey?" Xeno piped in, and Ron felt the need to hug the man.
"If he eats something less gooey" Pomfrey replied in a haughty tone. "He will vomit out the Potions I've given him. Mr. Weasley, do you need me to feed you again?" Pandora laughed at that, and Ron gnashed his teeth in her direction.
Wednesday 6th May, 1993 (Hospital Wing – Breakfast Time)
There was a special place in hell for people like Pomfrey, and it was right next to the place kept for people like Pandora. One had force-fed him slop, while the other one had laughed at his reactions. After that, Pomfrey had sent the adults home after assuring them that Ron would be fine. Despite their unwillingness to go, they had relented when Pomfrey told them that Ron needed to rest. And now here he was, sitting alone on his bed and blindfolded. His mind was analyzing the events that had taken place within the Dream World, and Ron found himself worried about his Future. What had happened to the Entity? Was it dead? If so, then what the fuck was Ron supposed to do now? What about the Cycles? Why had 'She' interfered this time around? There were so many questions, and Ron didn't even know where to begin. He needed help, and there was only one 'person' who knew about the Entity and about Ron's visions. The Sorting Hat.
Ron had kept away from the Hat so far simply because he feared what the Entity would do to it. And the fact that Ron was afraid that the Entity's words would be confirmed true… That the Entity was indeed the one that put him within Slytherin. Ron sighed as he realized that they probably were, and that Ron was cowering from the harsh reality of the Entity controlling his life. Ron now knew for certain that it had been, but after last night, he wasn't sure about the Entity's fate anymore. What had happened to it? The Hat could help him, there was no one else that Ron could turn to right now. But Ron knew one thing for certain, if the Entity was indeed dead, then Ron was telling Dumbledore everything. Without that noose around his neck, there was no longer a need to keep the Future a secret from Dumbledore.
"Ron!" came Pansy's loud voice, and Ron jumped in his bed.
"Merlin…" Ron gasped. "Pansy, you scare me half to death…"
"Sorry" Pansy replied, though she sounded more happy than apologetic. Ron felt her grab his gloved hand, and he felt a few people lingering around him. Are my scars covered? Probably, otherwise there'd be some panic. I know for certain that I have my glove on.
"Bloody hell" Blaise said. "Are those bandages really necessary?"
"I had another Subconjunctival hemorrhage" Ron sighed, and he heard a few sharp intakes of breath. "Daphne?"
"I'm here" Daphne replied as she grabbed his left hand gently. Thank Merlin it didn't attack her as well. If she died because of me… I'd end this Cycle myself… Ron tightened his hold on her hand, and she did the same.
"You scared the piss out of us" Theo half-laughed and half-fretted.
"I'm sorry" Ron smiled apologetically. "I was going through… some stuff."
"Tell us" Millie piped in. "We're tired of waiting, Ron. We want answers about what had you so stressed." I already told Daphne, sort of. And after what I put them through, I can tell them the same thing I told her.
"I've been thinking about the Future" Ron admitted, and he felt people shift on his bed. "I know there's a war coming, and before you ask, I just know. And I've been thinking about it constantly, and what it could mean for everyone… for us. And that caused me my stress moments." Not exactly true, but it's pretty much on the mark.
"So…" Tracey started. "Some potential war, that may or may not happen, is what's been making you act like this?"
"It will happen" Ron told her. "And it will happen soon, I know it."
"Ron, how can you know that?" Pansy asked gently. "Can you see the Future?" Oh shite! That's too close to the truth! Entity, if you're listening, don't get any fucking ideas!
"I was attacked by the Dark Lord himself right in the middle of the school" Ron sighed, and he felt Pansy's hand stiffen. "He attacked both Malfoy and I in the Forbidden Forest. And this year, the Heir of Slytherin tried to murder all the Muggle-Borns within Hogwarts. The Heir being the Dark Lord as well… Can't you guys see the pattern? He is out there, and he won't rest until he destroys everything." Ron missed all of his friends exchange worried looks, their friendship with Ron would definitely get complicated if the Dark Lord came back.
"Ron, why aren't you letting people like Dumbledore worry about this?" Blaise asked as he rubbed his forehead.
"Or the Ministry?" Tracey added.
"Or any other group that deals with the Dark Arts?" Theo added as well. "Why are you putting this on your head?" Because unlike them, I don't need to guess about the upcoming war. I know that it's coming for certain.
"I…" Ron started, but he stopped. "I worry about it because it concerns us all. My family, your families, us… War doesn't care about your age, it just happens. People die… All sorts of people die, and I don't want that happening to the people who are important to me." An uneasy silence fell on them, and they just sat there quietly. Daphne and Pansy squeezed his hands, and he squeezed back. They needed to hear this, they needed to wake up. When the war does arrive, they'll all get killed because of how unprepared they are. No one seems to be looking ahead, and it's so damn frustrating. This is why I need to tell Dumbledore, maybe he can start running classes or something.
"Ron!" came Ginny's voice, and it was followed by a lot of footsteps. Both Pansy and Daphne let go of his hands immediately, something that Ron didn't really like. He enjoyed holding their hands, though he'd never admit it.
"Bloody hell, did you go blind?" Fred/George gasped.
"No, just another Subconjunctival hemorrhage" Ron replied. "I'm fine, I swear it. These bandages will come off soon."
"What's a Subconjunctival hemorrhage?" came Luna's airy voice, and Ron felt someone kiss his left cheekbone. Was that Daphne?! No… No, she wouldn't do that in public. It was definitely Luna.
"The blood vessels in my eyes burst" Ron replied, and he heard loud gasps. "It sounds bad… Nope, I was going to say that it isn't, but it is. I'll also have 'Vampire eyes' for a week or so. Now, tell me who's here?"
"I'm here" Percy answered, and he put a hand on Ron's left shin. "So are Ginny, Luna, and the twins. Merlin Ron, you had us terrified. What happened?"
"I had a seizure of sorts" Ron replied, and he felt Percy tighten his hold on Ron's leg. "It came because of exhaustion."
"Like last year?" Fred/George asked, and Ron nodded. "Bloody hell, you need to stop once in a while."
"Learn to relax" Fred/George added. "Tell you what, we will show you everything that we know about relaxing."
"Mr. Weasley is meant to be resting" came a scolding voice, and Ron adorned a scared look. "And you all have classes soon, so stop disturbing him."
"Can I go to…?" Ron started.
"No" Pomfrey shut him down. Fuck, so I'm stuck here all day? I need to talk to the Hat. "You can all see him at Lunch-time, once I've removed his bandages and discharged him."
Wednesday 6th May, 1993 (Hospital Wing – Halfway through First Period)
"There, now please open your eyes slowly" Pomfrey instructed as she put the bandages aside, and Ron did as he was told. His vision was blurry, and he could barely make out anything.
"Do I look amazing?" Ron smirked, and Pomfrey frowned. He didn't know why he was making jokes, especially when there was this terrible feeling growing in his stomach. It was akin to… fear.
"This is no joking matter, Mr. Weasley" Pomfrey sighed out. "Is your vision blurry?"
"It's getting better" Ron replied as he blinked repeatedly. He looked down at himself, and he noticed that he was still wearing his school robes.
"You should probably change, and take a shower Mr. Weasley" Pomfrey told him, and he nodded.
"Am I discharged?" Ron asked.
"Yes…" Pomfrey sighed again, but then she adorned a fierce look. "But you are not allowed to attend your classes today, and you will not push yourself. Do you understand?"
"Yes" Ron averted his gaze. Pomfrey gave him a sad look, and then she did something that she never usually did. She put a comforting hand on his right shoulder.
"Ron, you could have died last night" Pomfrey said softly, and something in Ron's stomach twisted. "Please, if not for your sake then for the sake of your friends and family, stop pushing yourself like this."
"I… don't know how to stop" Ron admitted. I can't stop, if not for my sake then for theirs. "I'd like that shower now, please…" Pomfrey removed her hand, and Ron stood up. "Thank you for saving me, again."
"Thank Ms. Greengrass, she somehow hauled you down most of the moving staircase" Pomfrey told him, and he blinked. "She seems to possess an unnatural amount of strength for a girl her size. Though it was most likely adrenaline." She saved me? I guess I owe her… everything. But it was 'She' who really saved me. Ron gave Pomfrey a parting nod, and he began making his way down towards his room. That feeling in his stomach was getting worse, and Ron didn't know what it was.
Once he was in his room, he took off his school robes quickly and hopped into the bathroom. That's when it hit him… The horrible realization that he had come so close to death that he had actually said his farewells in his mind. His Cycle had been mere moments from ending, everything he held dear could have been taken from him. As soon as Ron looked at his scarred reflection, that feeling in his stomach burst, and he broke down in tears. He had almost lost everything… He had been so fucking scared in those final moments…
Wednesday 6th May, 1993 (Boys' Room – Second Period)
Ron had recovered from his breakdown… Well not really, he had simply pushed it all down and smothered it like he always did. Right now, he needed to talk to the Hat. He needed its help in shedding some light on the Entity's fate. Merlin, I really hope that fucker died.
"Sorting Hat, it's me" Ron called out. "I know we haven't spoken in a while, but I really need your help right now…"
"Ronald, dear boy!" came the Hat's voice from Ron's bed, and Ron turned around with a massive smile.
"Hat…" Ron whispered, it was pure bliss to see it again.
"Long time, my boy" the Hat said. "Where have you been?"
"Around…" Ron replied as he sat down next to it. "Truth is… I've learnt some horrible things… And I was scared to see you…"
"Horrible things?" the Hat asked. "And why were you afraid to see me?" Ron let out a long breath.
"I was scared that you'd confirm something that I feared, but I ended up realizing that it was always true" Ron replied. "Here, have a look." Ron then picked up the Hat, and he put it on his head.
"Hmmm" the Hat hummed inside Ron's head, and then it went dead silent. Ron sat there for a few long seconds, and then he decided to break the silence.
"Hat? Are you there?" Ron asked slowly.
"Ronald, remove me from your head" the Hat sighed out, and Ron did as he was told.
"What's wrong?" Ron asked with baited breath. Is it the Entity? Is it still there? Did it find the Hat?
"I just… need a moment" the Hat replied, and Ron blinked at it. "You may not know this, but I do feel emotions. It's necessary for me to do my job, for me to understand the individual that I am placed upon. Helga have mercy, I just need a moment…"
"Was it something bad? Was it the Entity?" Ron asked, and the Hat's 'face' contorted.
"My dear boy, I am astounded by your strength…" the Hat replied, and Ron just stared at it with a confused look. "You have suffered… Truly suffered… And yet, you fight on. You have my respect, and my condolences." Strength? And I have its respect?
"I don't understand…" Ron muttered. "Did you see the Entity?"
"Not quite" the Hat replied. "It… That thing… It was controlling me, and I didn't even realize it… Forgive me, Ronald. So much of your struggles have happened because I was foolish, because I couldn't fathom its intelligence."
"No, don't blame yourself" Ron frowned. "I did that for the longest time, and it won't fix anything. That piece of shite is to blame for everything, not us."
"I am grateful to hear that, but still… Forgive me" the Hat sighed. "By the Founders, it even began controlling Fawkes… I have never seen such a manipulative force before. If evil had a face, then I'd wager that the Entity would be it. The things it did you… I'm so sorry, my boy."
"Is it alive?" Ron asked. "It was attacked by the being that bound it to me, did you see that?"
"I did…" the Hat replied slowly. "And Ronald, it is still alive."
"Fuck…" Ron sighed tiredly, all of his hopes had just been shattered.
"But it's…" the Hat started but stopped. "Ronald, it isn't exactly there anymore… Do you remember when I told you about the 'vault' that held your visions?"
"Yes, I do" Ron nodded.
"It is sealed within that vault, and it is not pleased" the Hat explained, and Ron leaned in a bit. "I could not see it, but if I tried to access your inner thoughts, then I imagine I'd become its victim rather quickly."
"What do you mean by 'inner thoughts'?" Ron asked with narrowed eyes.
"Legilimency has stages, my boy" the Hat replied. "There is the light version, which is used to see ones surface thoughts. There is the standard version, which is used to see memories and experiences. And then there is a type of Legilimency that only the masters of the Spell can do, which is used to delve into a person's psyche. The last version often leaves the victim in a poor state, and so it is hardly ever used. Since you wanted me to see certain things, your memories were on your surface thoughts. Which means that even I can no longer look into your mind properly, the Entity will surely turn its wrath upon me."
"So my surface thoughts are safe for people to read?" Ron asked. "I thought that the Entity stopped all intrusions."
"It used to… But like I said, it's been sealed with the vault" the Hat replied.
"The Dream Hogwarts…" Ron eyes-widened as he remembered the Entity being sucked in. "I've lost some of its protection?"
"Yes, that is correct" the Hat replied. "The Entity used to exist throughout your mind, but now it exists further in. And judging by its anger, it's not happy about that fact."
"The being that bound us together attacked it… 'She' saved me" Ron said, and then he drew in a deep breath. "Do you think that it can still hurt me?"
"I… don't know that" the Hat replied, and then it shifted a little. "Ronald, I must tell you some rather grave news. I overheard Albus and Severus talking, and it seems that Lucius Malfoy and Cornelius Nott are actively searching for the Dark Lord." Ron blinked at the Hat, and then he slowly stood up.
"Malfoy and Theo's fathers?" Ron asked, and the Hat sighed in response. "Theo's dad is looking for the Dark Lord? Why?"
"To bring him back, of course" the Hat replied, and Ron put his hands on his head. Are they fucking insane? Theo's dad is… Fucking hell, does Theo know about this?
"Wait, Dumbledore and Snape both know this?" Ron asked.
"Yes, Severus is… Severus is friends with Lucius Malfoy" the Hat replied.
"And they're doing what?" Ron asked. "Are they going to stop them? Send them to Azkaban?"
"They are letting it play out" the Hat replied in a grave tone, and Ron gave it a shocked look.
"What?" Ron was stunned by their inaction. "Why? Why let them find the Dark Lord?"
"For the Dark Lord to be truly destroyed, he must first return to his full power" the Hat told Ron. The Entity said the same fucking thing.
"So Dumbledore already knows about the upcoming war?" Ron asked.
"He is expecting it, yes" the Hat replied.
"And what is he doing to prepare for it? Does he have an army? Is the Ministry in on this? Are the Aurors on high-alert?"
"None of the above" the Hat sighed, and Ron was left gobsmacked. This doesn't make any sense… If he knows what's coming, then why isn't he rallying an army? He has so much power within the Wizarding World, he could muster a force with ease. "Ronald, what are you thinking?"
"Why isn't Dumbledore doing more?" Ron asked, his confusion turning to anger. "Why isn't he getting the Ministry involved? How many people know of what Lucius Malfoy and Cornelius Nott are up to?"
"Only Albus and Severus, and now you" the Hat replied. "My boy, they do not wish to cause a panic."
"A panic?" Ron asked in a scathing voice. "They don't want to cause a panic? What the fuck do you think is going to happen when the Dark Lord returns, and everyone has their pants around their ankles? Bloody fuck…" Ron sat down on the ground, and he rubbed his temples with his knuckles. "They're doing nothing… They may be prepared, but what about the rest of us? Does Dumbledore have any plan in mind? Or is he just throwing the fucking dice?"
"I do not know what goes on in his mind" the Hat replied. "But Albus was the final bastion against the Dark Lord's corruption the last time, do not mistake his inaction for not preparing." The Entity told me that Dumbledore had caused a few of my Cycles to fail. Is this what it meant? That Dumbledore did nothing to prepare the world? I can't let that happen, my family and friends will get slaughtered otherwise.
"I have to tell him" Ron mumbled as he shook his head in disbelief, he was just shocked beyond words. "I have to tell him how bad it gets, and that the war starts sooner than he 'expects' it to."
"What of the Entity?" the Hat asked, and Ron looked up.
"I have to tell him, I have to wake him up…" Ron said as he stood up slowly. "The Entity might kill me, but maybe… Just maybe… Dumbledore will stop sitting on his arse… Maybe my death will mean that he finally starts to take action."
"Ronald, I've always wanted you to tell Albus the truth" the Hat started. "But think this through, please. There will be no coming back from this. Once you tell him, then your secret is gone." Ron stared at the Hat, and then he gave it a broken smile.
"My secret is not worth the lives of other people" Ron replied. "I'll see you in Dumbledore's Office…"
"Very well, my boy" the Hat said, and then it disappeared. Ron took a deep breath, his chest puffing up to the point of hurting, and he exhaled loudly. I'll tell him, and if that kills me… then it kills me. I've spent so long under the constant threat of death, and at this point, I'd rather just get Dumbledore to act instead of doing nothing. Everyone I know will be plunged into a war soon, and they need to start getting ready for it. They won't listen to me, but they will listen to him. Ron looked down at his gloved hand, and his scars popped into his mind. If you want to kill me Entity, now would be the perfect time to do so. When nothing happened, Ron left the room with a firm stride. He needed Dumbledore to act, and so he would make Dumbledore act.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Another one! I hope you all enjoyed that, it certainly took longer than usual. I wrote up a Chapter, but it just wasn't good enough for me so I restarted. Sorry about that. Oh well... And no, I have not written the Entity off. It just learnt a harsh lesson in overstepping its bounds. I've always said that the Entities are background characters, and I meant that. This story is about humans, and not God-Like beings.
I'll just leave you with that Cliff-Hanger. =)
See you on Sunday, or Monday... Depends on my assignments.