Fate

by TheTrueSpartan

When Ron discovers that he can see the future, his entire fate is thrown off of its course. A story about adventure, friendship, growing up, and pushing forward through hardships. This story will get darker as it progresses, just like the original Harry Potter novels. It will cover all Seven Years of Hogwarts, but mostly from Ron's perspective. No Mary Sues, no Character bashing.

56. Chapter 56 - The Truth Will Set You Free

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Chapter 56 is here, and I'm sorry for the delay on this. But life has a habit of kicking you in the gnards when it gets bored. And oh boy, did it get bored of me!

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.

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Fate

Chapter 56 – The Truth Will Set You Free

Ronald Weasley's POV

Wednesday 6th May, 1993 (Outside of Dumbledore's Office – Before Lunch)

Ron sat by the stone gargoyle as he waited for Dumbledore to finish giving his classes. There were so many thoughts in his head that he felt like his head would explode, and the only thing holding it all together was the simple notion that his actions would benefit thousands of people. He might, or might not, die after telling Dumbledore, but at least the old wizard would wake up and act.

Ron was still dumbfounded by the fact that both Snape and Dumbledore knew of what was coming, and of the fact that they were choosing to play the 'waiting game'. Maybe they had some strategy in place that the Hat didn't know about, maybe they already had everything figured out. No, they don't. If they did, then my Cycles wouldn't even exist. The Dark Lord wins, and it all starts again. Whatever reasons they had for waiting, both Snape and Dumbledore clearly weren't going to win against the Dark Lord. Whatever battle-plans they were concocting would inevitably fail, otherwise Ron wouldn't be in his four-hundred and sixty-fourth Cycle. I can't just expect them to take care of everything, I need more assurances.

Ron decided that if he didn't die outright, then he'd play his cards wisely. He would tell Dumbledore of his visions, he would tell Dumbledore of the Entity (Something that Dumbledore already knew of), he would tell Dumbledore how close the war was, and he would tell Dumbledore of the Cycles. He would drop most of the harsh truth into Dumbledore's lap, and he'd force the old man to look at it. Dumbledore needed to understand that his inaction was going to be the death of them all. Dumbledore needed to know that he was the cause of a few of Ron's Cycles.

What Ron wouldn't tell Dumbledore was that Ron fully intended to start playing an active role in the war to come as of this day. If Dumbledore insisted on inaction, then Ron would take matters into his own hands. He would redouble his efforts on his plans to build a network of powerful allies, he would start making contacts in the 'shadier' parts of the Wizarding World, and he'd start telling certain people about the Dark Lord's return. Ron would also keep the Hat's involvement a secret, and he'd beg the Hat to keep spying on Dumbledore for him. If Ron could see what moves the old man was making, then Ron could influence the upcoming events in a more meaningful way. He would also keep the Entity's current state a secret, he didn't want Dumbledore looking into his head.

"Ronald?" came Dumbledore's voice, and Ron's head shot up. "My boy, what are you doing sitting on the floor?" Ron saw that Dumbledore wasn't alone, Snape was standing behind the old man with an indifferent look on his face. Here I go. Entity, don't fucking kill me. Please…

"I wanted to speak with you, Headmaster…" Ron said as he stood up slowly, his voice shaking slightly. Dumbledore gave him a worried look, and then he nodded once.

"I will come back later, Headmaster" Snape said, and he turned to leave.

"No, wait…" Ron called out, and Snape stopped immediately. If they're both plotting things together, then they both need to hear what I have to say. "I want to talk to you as well." Snape blinked at him, and then both the Headmaster and Potions Professor exchanged looks.

"Licorice Wands" Dumbledore said to the gargoyle, and it slid aside. "Come, we can all speak within my Office." Dumbledore went in first, and he was followed by Ron. Snape came in last, his eyes fixed on Ron. Once they were in the Office, Snape and Ron sat down next to each other and across from Dumbledore. "Now Ronald, what is it that you wish to speak of?" Ron's stomach twisted from fear, and his skin paled considerably. This is it… Just say it… Fuck! TALK!

"Mr. Weasley?" Snape called, his brow furrowing at the sight of Ron losing all of the blood in his face.

"I know about Lucius Malfoy and Cornelius Nott searching for the Dark Lord" Ron blurted out, and then he inhaled a deep breath. They need to know, don't be a coward! Snape's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, all of his composure shattered by Ron's words. Snape looked to an already paling Dumbledore, and he saw that the old man had a dead-serious look on his face. How was this possible?! How did the boy know this?!

"Who told you this?" Dumbledore demanded, his voice firm. Ron looked Dumbledore in the eyes, and he took in another deep breath.

"I saw it in a vision" Ron lied, and he waited for the Entity to kill him. While Dumbledore and Snape just stared at Ron with disbelief, Ron found himself shaking from fear. Any minute now, the Entity could kill him. Talk! Tell them what they need to know before it gets a chance to act! "I can see the Future, and I know that there is a war coming. A war led by the Dark Lord, and it is almost here. I know that you two are doing nothing to stop those two idiots, and I think that they're going to succeed in bringing back the Dark Lord."

"Ronald, stop…" Dumbledore blinked. "Just… Start from the…"

"I need to tell you before it kills me, so just listen to me" Ron bit out, and both men were stunned into silence. Snape didn't even care that his mouth was hanging open, and from the looks of it, neither did Dumbledore. "In the near Future, the Dark Lord comes back and starts another war. People like Bellatrix join him…"

"Bellatrix Lestrange?!" Snape blurted out, his eyes shooting to Dumbledore once again. Even the Headmaster was horrified at the idea of Bellatrix Lestrange being out of Azkaban.

"I don't know her last name" Ron replied. "But a mad-woman named Bellatrix does join him, and she kills… She kills Draco and Lucius Malfoy…"

"What?" Snape blinked, his Godson was going to die? "Ronald, stop!" Ron shot a scared look to Snape, and Snape was shocked to see that the boy was shaking like a leaf in the wind. It hasn't killed me yet? Entity? Are you there? Does it not have the power to harm me anymore now that it's been sealed away in that 'vault'? The thought calmed him a little, but he was still shaking from the adrenaline.

"Severus, lock the door and cast a Silencing Charm around the room" Dumbledore ordered, and Snape flew out of his seat. "Now…" Dumbledore looked to a trembling Ron. "Tell us everything from the very start." The school bell suddenly rang, signaling the start of Lunch. Ron clutched his trembling hands together, and he nodded quickly. "Ronald, start talking."

"It all started when I turned eight" Ron started as Snape sat back down, both men looking at Ron intently. "It was my birthday, and I had this… moment of accidental magic where I leveled my mum's kitchen. But it wasn't accidental magic, I was possessed by this… thing…" Dumbledore and Snape's eyes widened, and Ron shuddered. "You've met it once, Headmaster…"

"You know about that too?" Dumbledore massaged his forehead with his frail looking fingers. There wasn't much out there that could shake Dumbledore, but right now, he was thoroughly shaken.

"Yes, and I know that it overpowered you easily" Ron nodded, and then he decided continue his story. "After it possessed me, it showed me a vision. In this vision, I saw Hogwarts in ruins… And I saw my brother, Fred, die from an unknown cause."

"Merlin…" Snape muttered to himself, his heart beating wildly. This was it, wasn't it? The enigma that was Ronald Weasley was about to be uncovered. "You saw your brother die when you were eight?"

"I've seen a lot of death" Ron replied, and Snape just blinked. "Fred was around eighteen, maybe nineteen… He died in the Great Hall, and he wasn't the only one. There were so many people there, they were either injured… or dead. I didn't believe in my vision at first, and even after I had a few more, I still didn't believe in them. How could I possibly see the Future? But then, I had a vision about Pandora's death…"

"Pandora Lovegood… You saved her when you were ten" Dumbledore said softly, he couldn't take his eyes off of Ronald.

"In my vision, I saw her die" Ron swallowed thickly, he was starting to sweat a little. "She died from a Spell gone wrong, and it was… bloody. Luna found her in my vision, and she was devastated… I couldn't let that happen, so I went to The Rookery on the day that Pandora was supposed to die…"

"You knew the exact date?" Snape interrupted.

"Sort of, I found a calendar during the vision" Ron replied. "My visions are… odd. It's like I'm there as a spectator, and I can move around freely. Anyway, I decided to test out if my visions were the real deal. And then everything happened, and I knew for certain that my visions would come true. But I also learned that I could change the Future…"

"Change the Future?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes unblinking.

"My goal was to save Fred, and the rest of my family" Ron replied, and Dumbledore's lips twitched upwards for a second. "I came to Hogwarts, and was sorted into Slytherin…"

"The Hat?" Snape interrupted again. "Does it know of your visions?" Need to keep the Hat's involvement a secret, just in case I need it to spy on Dumbledore.

"It saw the Entity, but it has no idea about my visions" Ron lied. "The Entity hides my mind from everything, and it hid my visions and some of my memories from the Hat. The Hat sorted me into Slytherin because it saw that I was driven by ambition, my ambition being my desire to change the Future itself."

"I see" Dumbledore nodded. "Keep going."

"I worked as hard as I could to excel in everything" Ron told them. "I knew that my task wasn't going to be easy, and that I needed to be the best in order to achieve it. I made allies, who turned into friends, and I continued my learning. I practiced everything until I understood it perfectly, and I was labelled a 'Prodigy'. A title that I didn't really earn, I suppose… All of my advanced knowledge came from my brothers. I'm veering off topic, sorry…"

"Take your time, Ronald" Dumbledore smiled gently, he was starting to regain his own composure. Dumbledore also glanced over to Severus, and he saw the Potions Master just staring at Ronald with rapt attention.

"I eventually had another vision, and this time it involved Harry, Hermione, and Neville" Ron told them, and he shuddered at the memory of the Troll incident. "It was on the day that the Troll invaded Hogwarts… In my vision, I saw all three of them die in the girls' bathroom."

"Die?" Snape asked, his eyes turning to a surprised Dumbledore. Harry Potter was going to die that night? The 'Chosen One' would be dead right now if it wasn't for Ronald?

"The Troll hit Neville with its cudgel, and there… there was nothing left of him" Ron muttered. "Hermione was crushed to death when the Troll fell on her. And Harry… The Troll ate his head… Crushed Harry's skull with its teeth…"

"And you saw all of this?" Dumbledore asked in a whisper. "Ronald… I'm sorry…" Ron shook his head, his eyes stinging a bit. It had been one of the most horrible visions that he'd ever seen, and what followed was just as horrible.

"I wasn't there by chance" Ron told them, his eyes moving between the two horror-struck men. "I saw their deaths, and I acted to stop them from happening…"

"Why didn't you come to us?" Snape asked, a slightly bitter edge to his tone.

"I tried to" Ron replied. "But you all ran off to save the Philosopher's Stone… Which I didn't even know existed at that point. In the end, I ran over to the girls' bathroom myself. And I killed the Troll before it could kill them. Things settled down for a while after that, but eventually I had another vision. This one showed me Peter Pettigrew disguising himself as my pet rat, and it also showed me Sirius' death at the hands of Dementors."

"And so you came to me" Snape blinked, it was all making sense. Ronald's absurd behavior was finally starting to make sense.

"I did, and then Sirius was set free" Ron nodded, a small smile gracing his face at the memory of Sirius being set free. "That was the day that I decided that I'd use my visions to save every life that I could, not just my loved ones'." Dumbledore couldn't help but smile at hearing that, whereas Snape was just waiting for Ron to go on. "Life went on, and eventually the Trio approached me…"

"Potter and his flock?" Snape asked, and Ron nodded.

"They wanted my help with keeping the Philosopher's Stone safe from you" Ron told Snape, and Snape cocked his eyebrow. "They thought that you were planning to steal it, and after they told me that it could make someone immortal, I decided to help them. But it wasn't to keep the stone from you, I planned to destroy it. I had the dumb notion that destroying the Stone would end any chance of the Dark Lord resurfacing…"

"You were brave to try" Dumbledore interjected, and Ron smiled a little. "Many would be tempted by such a powerful object, but you chose to destroy it for the greater good. I commend you on that."

"Well, it didn't quite work out as planned…" Ron smiled sadly, his scars served as permanent proof of his failure.

"What made you think of the Dark Lord using the Stone?" Snape asked.

"Firenze, a Centaur within the Forbidden Forest" Ron replied, and Snape nodded curtly. "Malfoy and I were attacked by the Dark Lord within the Forest, and Firenze saved our lives. He told us that it was the Dark Lord who was killing the Unicorns, and he mentioned the Stone. I put two-and-two together, and I decided to destroy it. But when I went to make my move, I ran into the Trio. They wanted to keep it safe from you, Sir."

"Idiots…" Snape groaned as he rubbed his face, this was so surreal. How could a student be dealing with all of this right under their noses? The only idiots within Hogwarts were the Professors, and Snape knew that he was the biggest one.

"I helped them get to the Stone, but then Harry had to go on alone" Ron went on. "I was a complete moron back then, and I just assumed that Harry was some great wizard. I let him take the Potion that would let him pass forward, and I waited for my opportunity."

"You planned to take the Stone from the Trio" Dumbledore remembered, they had had this conversation when Ronald was in St. Mungo's.

"Yes, I planned to ambush them when their guards were down" Ron sighed, and Snape found himself agreeing with Ron's strategy. "But instead… Instead I was attacked by the Dark Lord… He tried to do something to me, but the Entity found him first… And it tried to kill us both…"

"Both?" Snape's head jerked up from his hands.

"It gave me my scars" Ron swallowed again, and both men were left horrified.

"It can hurt you?" Dumbledore asked slowly, and Ron nodded.

"It does that a lot…" Ron whispered, his eyes burning. "It hurts me whenever it gets a chance…" Dumbledore paled, his own hands shaking slightly. Snape just stared at Ron with slightly widened eyes, his shock too great to put into words. But that shock broke when Ronald began sniffling, clearly moments away from crying. That's when Snape realized that they were talking to a thirteen year old boy, a child. A child who was clearly terrified. A child who was completely alone. Despite his better judgement trying to stop him, Snape reached over and put a comforting hand on Ronald's back.

"How does it hurt you?" Dumbledore asked, doing his best to sound calm.

"It berates me… Mocks me… Threatens me…" Ron sniffed, some traitorous tears dripping out of his eyes. "It beats me… It broke my leg recently… It hit me so hard that most of my teeth broke…" A broken sob escaped his throat, and Ron completely forgot what he was meant to be doing. All he could think about was how scared he was to be here, how at any given moment he could die. "It hat… hates me…" Ron sobbed, and Dumbledore shot out of his seat. Snape pulled away as Albus held the boy in a paternal hug, this was not Snape's forte. He wanted to comfort the boy, but he wasn't that kind of person.

"Shhh" Dumbledore shushed as he put a hand around Ron's head, and then pressed Ron's head into his beard. Snape was surprised to see Albus show such open concern, but then again, Ronald's words had shaken both men. That creature was torturing the boy? And Ronald never said a word about it? Snape didn't even know how to feel about that. How was Ronald even walking around like nothing was wrong? It was no wonder that Ronald was suffering from Chronic Stress, he was living with an abusive monster inside of his head. "Severus, make us some tea please" Albus said as he caressed Ronald's head, and Snape did as he was told.

"I have… more to tell you…" Ron sniffled, his eyes itching wildly. Stop crying. Stop being so damn weak. Tell them what they need to know, that's all that matters.

"And you can, but only after you have some tea" Dumbledore managed, his voice shaking slightly. It beat Ronald? Broke his leg? Broke his teeth? Ronald was just a boy! What was this creature?! Dumbledore himself had been subjected to the Entity's brutality, and it had shaken Dumbledore down to his very core. But he could imagine living with such a monstrosity as Ronald did. How often was Ronald savaged by that thing? Dumbledore the urge to shudder, he had never imagined such thing happening right under his nose.

"Here" Snape said as he put three cups of Earl Grey on the clawed desk, and Dumbledore let go of Ron. Ron rubbed his eyes, and he noticed that his hands had blood on them. Shite, the pooled blood… "Here, use this" came Snape's voice, and Ron looked to see the Potions Master holding a clean handkerchief in front of him. Ron took it slowly, and he flashed Snape a grateful smile.

"Thanks" Ron mumbled as he cleaned up his face, while Snape just watched him quietly. Meanwhile, Dumbledore took out a vial of Calming Draught and poured a drop in all three cups. Just enough to sooth them all a little. Dumbledore then handed out the tea, which Ron accepted.

"There is a drop of Calming Draught in there, just to help us all… manage" Dumbledore told them, and Ron looked at his cup with a worried look. "Ronald, drink the tea." I shouldn't, I promised Daphne that I'd stop taking this Potion.

"Mr. Weasley, you won't become addicted from just one drop" Snape told him, and Ron blinked at him. "Your mother and father told us about your condition last night…" Ron's eyes widened at that, and he looked to Dumbledore with a slightly panicked look. Why the fuck would they do that?!

"They felt the need to tell the Professors" Dumbledore smiled gently.

"Professors?" Ron managed, his throat tightening. "Everyone knows?"

"No, just the Professors" Snape assured him. "They told us of your Chronic Stress… and of the damage done to your brain." Fucking hell… I knew I should've never told them. They just couldn't keep their mouths shut, could they? Now they all know that I'm… crippled…

"Ronald, no one is judging you" Dumbledore assured him, and Ron glared at the man. "We have all agreed to help you manage your stress, and to keep an eye on you." That's exactly what I don't want. I don't need people eyeing me constantly.

"I don't need your help in that regard, I'm handling my stress just fine" Ron responded, though he knew that he was lying. His stress was at an all-time high, and it was starting to ruin his life. Though there isn't much to ruin, my life is horrible joke. Snape and Dumbledore exchanged looks, but they didn't say anything. Sebastian Greengrass had mentioned that Ronald was too proud to ask for help. But both men were now questioning whether Ronald was just too proud, or whether he had just gotten used to doing everything by himself.

"Please, drink the tea and continue your story" Dumbledore said as he sipped his own tea. It's just one drop, and if it helps me continue on, then so be it. Ron drank down his tea rather quickly, his mouth burning slightly.

"Where was I?" Ron asked as he tried to remember where he had left off.

"The Entity attacked you and the Dark Lord" Snape provided, his attention back on the subject at hand.

"Right…" Ron nodded, a small amount of calmness washing over him from the tea. It still hasn't attacked me, which probably means that it can't. I'm… free… Ron nearly broke into a wide grin, but he stopped himself just in time. "The Entity tried to kill us both, but the Dark Lord escaped. I was left… Well, you already know that…" Ron shifted in his seat a bit, while both men just stared at him. "You eventually told me that you had the Stone destroyed, but that the Dark Lord could still come back. That was… hard to swallow."

"How do your visions work?" Snape asked suddenly, the thought was burning a hole in his head.

"Oh… Well, they just happen" Ron replied. "They come from the Entity, and I have no control over them."

"And you had a vision of Lucius and Cornelius searching for the Dark Lord?" Snape asked. If that was true, then Ronald probably saw him too.

"No, I had vision of you two discussing it" Ron replied, and he prayed that they didn't question him further. Change the topic. "They happen when I'm around people, and I see one person's Future. They're… focused on one person, but that person is usually with other people. Truth be told, I haven't had many visions during this school year. I spent most of my time dealing with the Heir, then my parents, and then the Entity…"

"You and your friends found the Entrance to the Chamber" Dumbledore nodded. "Did your visions help with that?" Don't tell him about your Parseltongue ability, you need at least some sort of advantage.

"No, I didn't have any visions related to the Chamber" Ron admitted. "We genuinely looked into every possible lead, and once I got petrified, my friends took over from there." Both men nodded in understanding, and Ron thanked Merlin for them not questioning him too much.

"You dealt with…" Snape started, but the school bell cut him off. All three of them looked up for some reason, and then they each sighed.

"We have to go, Ronald" Dumbledore said as he stood up, and Ron noticed that there was some blood in his white beard.

"Headmaster, your beard…" Ron said as he pointed at the blood stains. Dumbledore looked at his beard, brandished his wand, and vanished the blood nonverbally.

"You may remain here" Dumbledore smiled at Ron in a kindly manner. "Once our classes are finished, we wish to continue this conversation." Ron nodded at that, and he sank into his chair a bit.

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Wednesday 6th May, 1993 (Dumbledore's Office – After Classes)

The bell had just gone off, and Ron was patiently waiting for Dumbledore and Snape to come back. Fawkes was currently sitting in Ron's lap, and he was nibbling on Ron's gloved index finger while Ron stroked his gold and scarlet feathers. It was rather therapeutic, and it was keeping Ron centered. The Entity hadn't killed him, and although that had calmed Ron down considerably, he was still a bit jittery. And it was due to this jitteriness that Ron had eaten all of Dumbledore's Lemon-Drops… The whole fucking jar. Not only did he feel queasy from eating so many sweets, but the sour Lemon-Drops had somewhat burned his taste buds. It was worth it, they were delicious. I'll just buy Dumbledore another jar to pay him back.

The sound of a door opening from behind him broke him out of his thoughts, and he looked back to see Snape walk in rather quickly. The Potions Master slowed down when he saw Ron, and something unrecognizable flashed across his face. Ron looked back ahead as Snape slowly walked up and took his seat beside Ron. They were both silent, and Ron continued stroking Fawkes' feathers.

"Mr. Weasley…" Snape broke the silence, and Ron looked to him. "You mentioned something… about Draco…" I mentioned his death, yes.

"Bellatrix cut open his throat" Ron told the Potions Master, and Snape just stared at Ron with a troubled look. I could've put that in a much better way… Fuck. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound so… blunt about it. I've just seen… a lot of death… Sometimes I don't even think about it that way…"

"That's alright, thank you for telling me" Snape interjected as he rubbed his face with his hands, his boney fingers digging into his forehead. "When did you see his… death?"

"While he was attacking me with Crabbe and Goyle" Ron sighed, and Snape frowned to himself. "Do you want to know why she killed him?" Snape looked at Ron for a few moments, and then he nodded curtly. "Malfoy was helping save Muggle-Born children" Ron told the older wizard, and Snape's eyes widened. "He smuggled them, and his mother, through the floo, and then he blasted the fireplace apart so that the Death-Eaters couldn't follow them. He… He died a hero… At least in my eyes…" Snape swallowed thickly, and he sank into his seat. They were both quiet again, and Ron knew that Snape was processing his Godson's death. "I won't let him die like that." Snape looked at Ron, but he didn't say anything. He couldn't say anything, his throat had closed up from the shock of his Godson's fate. He won't die that way, the Future changes whenever I learn of it. But I'll keep that to myself, otherwise they might find a reason to not listen to me.

"Lucius? How did he die?" Snape managed after a few moments, his mind almost numb. It had been a long day, and it wasn't even close to finishing yet.

"He was enraged by his son's murder, and he charged at Bellatrix" Ron replied in a soft tone. "She used the Killing Curse on him. Sir, who is she?"

"Someone very dangerous, and utterly mad" Snape replied, and Ron nodded. "You say that you can change the Future? That you've already saved people who were meant to die?"

"I won't let him die like that, I promise" Ron told the Potions Master, and Snape was grateful to hear that. Snape too was proud, and he didn't want to ask a thirteen year old boy to change his Godson's fate. Especially because said Godson constantly targeted said thirteen year old boy. A small part of Snape just wanted to go back to his room and sleep, this was all too much. The door opened once again, and the Headmaster raced in.

"Forgive me for being late" Dumbledore said as he quickly took his seat, and that's when he noticed Fawkes sitting in Ron's lap. The sight brought a smile to his face, but he didn't comment on it.

"I ate all of your Lemon-Drops" Ron confessed with a soft smile, and Dumbledore looked to the empty jar. "I will get you another jar, sorry."

"No need for that, Ronald" Dumbledore chuckled a bit, and then he pulled out another jar from under his desk. Snape rolled his eyes, while Ron just blinked at the old codger. "Now" Dumbledore adorned a more serious look. "Let's continue our talk."

"What did you mean by 'you dealt with the Entity'?" Snape asked, and Ron drew in a deep breath. Tell them what you planned, and nothing more. And don't have another breakdown, you weakling.

"Over the course of this year, the Entity became increasingly more abusive" Ron admitted, and both men leaned in a bit. "Last year it was just sort of… there. It didn't do much besides give me visions, and protect my mind. But this year, especially after the Junior League Chess Tournament, it started lashing out at me."

"Why?" Dumbledore asked.

"It wanted me to be its slave… Still does, actually" Ron replied, and the two older wizards exchanged worried looks. "It took every chance to hurt me, to break my spirit… To make me give up my control. But I refused, no matter what it did to me, I kept refusing. And so it got angrier with each encounter, and last night… Last night it tried to kill me again…"

"What?" Snape blinked.

"Merlin have mercy on us all…" Dumbledore muttered, his face aging considerably.

"Why did it try and kill you? What does it want?" Snape asked, and Ron noted just how concerned the Professor was for him. Some childish part of Ron wanted to smile widely, but he didn't. This was no joking matter, and Ron was still worried that the Entity would off him any second now.

"It wants the 'Lord of Serpents' to die" Ron told them. "It's after the Dark Lord, and I'm its… vessel. The Entity was bound to me by some other being that is stronger than the Entity, I think. It just refers to her as 'She'."

"This can't be real…" Snape sighed out, and then he used his Occlumency to regain some control over his racing mind.

"And the reason why it tried to kill me was because I slipped up" Ron went on. "I told Daphne about the upcoming war, or at least a little bit about it. The Entity warned me never to reveal anything to anyone, but I did it anyway, and so it tried to kill me."

"You're telling us" Dumbledore stated.

"And it could kill me at any given moment" Ron said, his voice coming out shakier than he wanted.

"Ronald…" Dumbledore blinked, why would he endanger himself like this?!

"I'm tired of this…" Ron admitted as he looked down at Fawkes. "If it kills me, then that's fine… You two knowing about what's coming is more important than my life." Snape and Dumbledore were lost for words, but they were both shocked and awed by Ron's bravery. "This new war will kill thousands, if not more… I've read about how terrible the last one was, and I'm not letting my friends and family go through that." There was a small silence, and Ron petted Fawkes' head. "There is one more thing that you need to know. And it involves the Entity and me."

"Tell us" Dumbledore managed, he was still stuck at Ron's heroism. Watching Ronald sit there with Fawkes in his lap as he told them that he was willing to die for the people that he held most dear was enough to make Dumbledore choke up. No thirteen year old boy should ever feel the need to resign to death, not a single one. And yet, Ronald had stepped into this Office knowing full well that he might never leave it alive. That was just… too much.

"Whenever my 'Cycle' fails, the Entity is sent back in time" Ron told them, and they both went wide-eyed again. "It latches onto me on my eighth birthday, and this all starts again. This 'She' being is behind this Cycle nonsense, she wants the Dark Lord dead. Because… Because if he doesn't die, then Death will destroy this Universe. 'Death doesn't like to be cheated', that's what the Entity told me." Ron took another deep breath, and he looked at both men to gauge their reactions. Dumbledore was just staring at him like he was asleep with his eyes open, while Snape looked like he was having an existential crisis. I shouldn't have just dropped this on them, but fuck it. It was dropped onto me, and I dealt with it. They need to as well.

"Give us… a moment, Ronald" Dumbledore muttered, this day was getting more and more bizarre by the second. What was this about 'Death destroying this Universe'? Were there more Universes out there? Dumbledore was mentally jarred into stupidity, and that hadn't happened in decades.

"What do mean by 'Cycles'?" Snape asked slowly, this all sounded like a fairytale at this point. And yet, there was evidence that this was all true. Ronald was the evidence, his odd actions were the evidence, his scars were the evidence, Dumbledore being attacked by the Entity was evidence, and Ronald saving lives at such a young age was evidence.

"It's basically my life, and the lives of all the previous Ronald Weasleys" Ron replied. "Whenever we fail at killing the Dark Lord, the Entity goes back in time and restarts its mission."

"Do you know how many Cycles have come to pass?" Dumbledore asked, his mind numbed by all of this.

"I am the four-hundred and sixty-fourth Cycle" Ron replied, and both men aged a hundred years right in front of Ron. "We have lost four-hundred and sixty-three times."

"No…" Dumbledore whispered to himself, his eyes falling down to the table. Snape once again covered his face, and he sank into his seat.

"Tell me this is not true" Snape spoke through his hands, his calm demeanor forgotten in the face of this overwhelming new reality.

"I can't do that" Ron responded as Fawkes nipped at his chin lovingly. "You both need to know that… that you fail. Whatever schemes you have, whatever strategies that you're currently employing… They fail, and we all die." Ron looked right at Dumbledore, and the old man gave him a broken look. "The Entity didn't want me to tell you about my powers because it told me that you couldn't be trusted. It told me that a few of my Cycles had failed because I put my faith in you, and you didn't do enough. I didn't want to believe that, but I know that it's probably true… You are just sitting here, waiting for the Dark Lord's return. I don't know if you have any plans or not, but whatever they are, they're going to fail. He's going to win, and the Entity will just restart its mission from scratch."

"That's what it does" Ron went on, he didn't care that both men looked broken. "It just keeps on trying. It doesn't care about me, and it doesn't care about you. It wants the Cycles to end, and so do I. And yes, each Cycle is different. Each Ronald Weasley is different. Some are Gryffindors, some are Hufflepuffs, some are Ravenclaws, and some are Slytherins. Each of them had their own personalities and experiences, but they all have one thing in common. They all failed. But I don't plan on failing, and despite all the evidence that I've seen against trusting you, here I am. I am offering you my help, and I am asking you to help me. With my knowledge on the Future, and your power and influence, we can win this war." There was a long silence after that, and after a few minutes of all three of them just sitting there, Dumbledore finally broke it.

"Ronald, I think that's enough for today…" Dumbledore said, his voice soft and hopeless. "Go back to your common room, we will speak more once I've worked through this…" Fawkes flew off of Ron at that, and Ron stood up. He turned to leave, but he stopped himself at the last second.

"I might be dead soon" Ron told them, and they both gave Ron weary looks. "And if the Entity does indeed kill me for telling you two the truth… Don't waste what I've told you… And… And protect my family for me, and my friends… I think that the Entity only restarts the Cycle when there is no hope of success." With that, Ron left the Office. He was utterly spent, but he had done his duty.

---

Severus Snape's POV

Wednesday 6th May, 1993 (Dumbledore's Office – After Classes)

Snape had seen things that would break weaker men. He had delved deep into the Dark Arts, he had seen men and women killed, he had seen the Dark Lord torture people into insanity, he had seen the corpses of children, and he had seen the love of his life dead beside her infant son. But all of that paled in comparison to what he had just learned. The Entity, Death, 'She', the Cycles, their repeated failures to destroy the Dark Lord, Ronald being able to see the Future, Draco's impending death… Snape wanted to believe none of it. Was their reality really so cruel? Was everything that they had fought for really so fragile? Snape looked to Albus, and his mentor had a look on his face that Snape hadn't seen in almost eleven years. The last time he looked this broken was when the Potters were killed.

"Albus… What do we do?" Snape asked, but the old man didn't reply. "Was the boy telling the truth? He was, wasn't he? What are we supposed to do?"

"I… I don't know…" Albus replied as he massaged his forehead with shaking fingers.

"Four-hundred and sixty-three times…" Snape said as he closed his eyes, he needed to sleep. "That's how many times we've lost… That's how many times he's won…"

"Ronald… I could never have imagined such a thing" Dumbledore spoke to the table, his eyes glossed over. "In all of my years… This is… beyond my comprehension…"

"It all makes sense though" Snape told himself. "The boy, that is. His absurd actions, the fact that he is always in the right place at the right time, his advanced knowledge, his obsession with making powerful allies… All of it fits perfectly now. He's been… fighting to prepare for a war." He has been fighting this war since he was eight, and he has been fighting it alone.

"Did you hear him, Severus?" Dumbledore finally looked up, his wrinkles more prominent. "He came in here with the knowledge that he might die. He told us everything, and he did it knowing full well that he might never leave this room alive…"

"Merlin…" Snape ran his hands through his hair. I keep forgetting that he's only thirteen. "Can we be sure that he's telling us the truth? I mean, this is some… insane babble."

"The 'Champion'… That's what the Entity called Ronald" Dumbledore said, his eyes meeting Snape's. "It helped Ronald resist over fifty Veelas at once, it attacked me for trying to enter Ronald's mind, and now we find out that it tried to kill Voldemort too… That it is the culprit behind Ronald's scars… And not only that, but it tortures the boy at every turn…"

"Broke his leg… shattered his teeth…" Snape found himself saying, his stomach turning from dread on Ronald's behalf. "Merlin knows what else it's done to Ronald… And we can't even extract it?"

"It would just kill Ronald, and restart the 'Cycle'…" Dumbledore replied, a lifeless laugh coming out of his mouth. "How did we miss this?" Dumbledore asked as he closed his tired eyes.

"Because this is beyond us" Snape replied. "This is… This is almost make-believe. I… I can't even think…"

"Sleep on it" Dumbledore sighed deeply, his body sinking into his chair. "I intend to. Ronald has told us a lot of things, and we need to process them." Snape stood up, and he noticed that his knees were wobbling. Get a grip. Just… Just get to your room. Snape walked out of the Office without uttering another word, he had spoken enough today.

The moment he stepped past the stone gargoyle, he began hearing the students. There was laughter, chattering, and loud footsteps. Snape schooled his features as best he could, and he began making his way down to his Office. Everything just felt hazy, and unreal. He walked past many students, all of them stepping out of his way, and he barely even noticed them. He barely even noticed anything at all. His mind was fixed on Ronald's words, and they just kept echoing within Snape's mind. And then, he saw a head of platinum-blonde hair. Snape stopped dead in his tracks as he saw his Godson laughing at something near the steps leading into the Entrance Hall. Draco… The Malfoy heir looked so carefree, a massive smile on his face as he joked about with his burly friends. He's going to die at the hands of his own aunt. Is this how Ronald sees the world? Dead faces everywhere? His own brother among them?

"Godfather" Draco greeted as he spotted Snape coming down the steps.

"Draco, we are in public" Snape said, barely managing to keep his voice steady.

"Forgive me, Professor" Draco corrected, though his tone suggested that he wasn't really sorry. Snape had known Draco since the boy was in diapers, but right now he could barely keep his eyes on the boy. Bellatrix Lestrange… I'll kill her myself. I swear it. "Professor, are you alright?" Draco asked, and Snape blinked.

"Yes" Snape lied, and then he reached over and patted Draco's right shoulder. Draco's eyes widened from surprise, and Snape pulled his hand back. Stop. Stop it. He won't die… I won't let him die like that. Snape then simply walked off, while Draco rubbed his shoulder with a widening smile. Snape made his way down to his Office with a quickened pace, he needed to be alone. He just needed a stiff drink, and sleep.

Snape burst into his Office and locked the door behind him, and then he all but ran into his room. Once he had closed the door and locked it, he made his way over to his Ogden's Finest. Snape poured himself a glass, and he downed it in one go. It burned his throat terribly, but he didn't care. He began pouring himself another glass, and that's when he noticed that his hands were trembling. Snape put the bottle down, and he let out a shaky breath.

"Oh God…" Snape muttered as he clutched his head with his trembling hands, his heart beating in his throat. "Oh my God… God… Four-hundred…" Snape felt bile rise in the back of his throat, and he vomited out his drink.

---

Albus Dumbledore's POV

Wednesday 6th May, 1993 (Dumbledore's Office – After Classes)

The moment Snape had left, Albus had found himself going into a panic of sorts. He had always known that another war against Tom would be inevitable, what he didn't know was that he was doomed to fail. Four-Hundred and sixty-three times they had failed, and the prospect of failing again filled Dumbledore with dread. He didn't want to believe Ronald whatsoever, but he was having trouble hiding from the facts. The boy knew things that no one in the world knew, he had a tendency to show up exactly when he was needed, not to mention the Entity itself. Dumbledore had met that monstrosity himself, and he had felt its savagery first-hand.

"Zinny" Dumbledore called, and there was a loud crack in the room.

"Yes, Headmaster Sir?" came Zinny's voice, and the smaller than average House-Elf came into view. "Is the Headmaster feeling unwell? He looks very pale…"

"I am indeed feeling a little under-the-weather, I'm afraid" Dumbledore replied, his voice slightly strained. "Could you please bring me a goblet of mulled-wine?"

"Of course Headmaster Sir, Zinny is happy to serve" Zinny beamed, and then she was gone with a crack. Dumbledore took out a small vial of Calming Draught from his desk, and he waited for the Elf. When she apparated back into the room, Dumbledore took the goblet of mulled-wine with a grateful smile.

"Thank you, Zinny" Dumbledore said, and the Elf bowed deeply.

"Is there anything else that Zinny can do for you, Headmaster Sir?" Zinny asked.

"No, please continue on with your day" Dumbledore replied, and Zinny nodded in understanding. Once she had disapparated, Dumbledore poured the Calming Draught into his wine and swirled the goblet. Then he drank it down as quickly as he could, he truly needed something to calm his nerves down. After he was finished, Dumbledore relaxed into his seat. It had been a terribly long day, and Dumbledore was left with a million questions and a mountain of self-doubt. But he knew one thing for certain. Ronald had just become one of the most powerful pieces on the board, and Dumbledore needed him on his side when the time came.

---

Ronald Weasley's POV

Wednesday 6th May, 1993 (Slytherin Common Room – After Classes)

Ron walked over to his friend, all of whom were sitting in their usual spot, and he felt himself calm down even more. The Entity hadn't attacked him yet, which could only mean two things: One, it had decided to let Ron take charge. Or two, it had no power over him anymore. Either way, Ron was feeling like his life was his own again. And that brought a wide smile to his face. But that smile fell when he saw Theo. His father is trying to bring back the Dark Lord. Does Theo even know about that? What would he say if I told him that?

"There you are" Daphne huffed as soon as she saw him, her eyes immediately looking into his.

"Ron, where were you?" Mille asked, visibly relieved to see him.

"I was with Dumbledore" Ron said as he sat down next to Blaise. "We were talking about my Chronic Stress." Daphne shifted in her seat a bit.

"Your parents told the Professors" Daphne said with an apologetic look, and Ron waved a dismissive hand.

"Don't blame yourself, none of it is your fault" Ron smiled, she had saved his life. Sort of. 'She' saved my life, and Daphne got me to Pomfrey.

"So, what did he say?" Blaise asked.

"We tried to bring you your Charms homework, but Flitwick told us that he wasn't giving you any" Theo provided. "Wish I had…" Tracey smacked his arm before he could finish.

"Don't joke about that" Tracey frowned deeply, and they all exchanged looks. Did Tracey just say that? Tracey Davis?

"Right…" Ron said in a drawled out voice, his eyes on Tracey. "Do you guys need help with…?"

"No" they all said immediately, and Ron blinked. What the…?

"You should find Carey Ductu, actually" Pansy jumped in. "She was looking for you at Lunch, and she was just now asking about you."

"Oh… Where did she go?" Ron asked.

"Probably to her room" Millie provided, and Ron stood up.

"Guess I'd better go down there" Ron sighed. "They probably want me to do something for them…"

"Ron, getting in good with them is really important" Theo told him, and Ron nodded.

"I can come with…" Daphne suddenly piped in, her eyes fixed on his.

"Sure" Ron shrugged, he saw no harm in it. They both left the group together, and they walked towards the sixth year girls' room side by side. "Daph… Are you alright?" Ron broke the silence.

"Yes…" Daphne replied. "I just thought that… I'd um… show you the way there."

"I've been there before" Ron chuckled, and Daphne blinked at him.

"What?" Daphne asked, her voice no longer soft. "When? Why?"

"They wanted my help with Malfoy" Ron told her, did he say something wrong? She sounds rather annoyed all of a sudden. What did I say? I told her the truth, that's all.

"Oh…" Daphne blinked again, her cheeks turning rosy. "Malfoy… He's becoming a problem again."

"He's always a problem" Ron sighed. "One that I'm getting rather bored of." Is his Future now changed because I know of it? Probably… Shite. They stopped in front of the sixth year girls' room, and they turned to each other.

"I'll stay out here" Daphne told him. "And after… Can we please talk?"

"Talk?" Ron gulped, she looked… uneasy. "Daph, is everything alright? With us?"

"Just go and talk to them, then we can talk about… us" Daphne replied, and Ron nodded slowly. Ron then knocked on their door, and Clara answered by opening the door.

"Ron!" Clara beamed, and then her eyes went to Daphne. "And Daphne Greengrass. What can I do for you two?"

"Carey was looking for me?" Ron asked, and Clara nodded and stepped aside.

"Come in" Clara invited them inside with a sweet voice.

"I'll stay here, please take as much time as you need" Daphne replied politely, and Clara nodded. Ron stepped inside, and Clara closed the door behind him. Ron managed four steps inside before Clara clung to his back, her arms wrapping around his chest.

"Um…" Ron flushed, and she squeezed him tightly. When her big, soft breasts pressed against his back, he immediately turned beet-red. "Clara… What are you…?"

"We've been so worried" Clara sighed as she put her chin on his right shoulder, and then she leaned forward and kissed his right cheek. Merlin, I'm going to pop another erection right here! Get off me!

"Um…" Ron looked around the room, and he found Carey and Samantha just sitting on their beds with a lot of parchments and books open in front of them.

"Ron, I'm glad to see that you're alright" Carey said smoothly, a soft smile on her face.

"You're eyes are… damaged again" Samantha noted, she too was smiling. She looks really appealing when she smiles, she should do it more often. And can someone please get Clara off of me. "Clara, he's going as red as a tomato…"

"I don't care" Clara giggled, and then she gave his right cheek another kiss. "I'm not letting go until he has to leave."

"Merlin…" Ron muttered, and then he swallowed thickly. "What… What did you need to see me for?"

"We just wanted to see if you were alright" Carey slipped out of her bed, and then she walked over and stopped right in front of him. She put her fingers on his chin as she looked into his eyes with a worried look. "Another Subconjunctival hemorrhage?"

"Ye… Yes" Ron's voice broke a bit, and he flushed even more.

"What happened, Ron?" Samantha asked, she was now leaning against her bed-post. I'll just tell them what I told my siblings.

"I had a seizure" Ron replied, his eyes fixed on Carey's green ones. "I was too exhausted, which made my Magical Core unstable. During the seizure, the blood vessels in my eyes burst…" Clara drew in a sharp breath, and she squeezed him more tightly. Carey and Samantha just sighed, Ron needed to learn to relax.

"Do you not know how to relax?" Samantha reprimanded, her voice slightly haughty. "Or do you get a kick out of worrying your friends and family?" I'd like to pass the mic over to the Entity for that one.

"Sorry" Ron apologized, he didn't know what else to say. "Um… Do you need me to talk to Malfoy? I know that I was… rude the last time we spoke… Sorry about that as well."

"We can deal with that brat" Samantha replied.

"And stop apologizing so much" Carey frowned slightly. "It doesn't suit the person everyone sees you as." What person?

"I'm going to have a chat with your friends soon" Clara warned him, and he turned his head towards hers. That was a mistake because her head was way too close to his, and he immediately looked forward. Clara smiled widely at his childish behavior, how was this the same person who beat Potter senseless in public?

"A chat about what?" Ron asked, his cheeks burning. Merlin, I'm sandwiched between two gorgeous girls. Sirius, I hope you're proud of me.

"I am going to make sure that they stop you from overexerting yourself" Clara hummed.

"Oh…" Ron blinked.

"We'd love to keep chatting with you, Ron" Carey spoke in her silky voice, a small smile gracing her face. "But we have two tests tomorrow, and we'd best get back to studying. We're glad to see that you're alright, and we'll be keeping an eye on you. Don't let us catch you pushing yourself, or we'll have to teach you a lesson."

"A lesson?" Ron asked, his voice betraying him by showing his excitement. Carey smiled more widely at that.

"Clara, send Ron on his way" Carey said as she walked over to her bed, and Clara let go of Ron.

"Come along, Ronald" Clara said sweetly as she grabbed his hand and dragged him to the door. She let go of his hand when they got to the door, a mischievous smile on her face. "I'd rather your girlfriend not catch us holding hands."

"My… My girlfriend?" Ron flushed. "Daphne… It's not like that…"

"Oh, really?" Clara chuckled. "That's a shame, I think you two look rather cute together." Don't say anything, just avert your gaze. Clara opened the door, and Ron stepped outside. "Don't be a stranger, you're welcome here anytime." Ron managed a smile as Clara shut the door, and then he turned to Daphne.

"What did they want?" Daphne asked, her expression unreadable.

"To see if I was alright" Ron replied. "They also said that they'll take care of Malfoy for me."

"They won't" Daphne told him, and he blinked. "In the end, we'll have to do that ourselves. Trust me on this, they'll come to you with an excuse and then ask you to take care of Malfoy for them."

"Why would they lie?" Ron asked, was Daphne jealous of them? She does tend to let that cloud her judgement.

"Don't be naïve, Ron" Daphne sighed. "They are most definitely the next Silver Triumvirate, and dealing with a second year squabble is beneath them. They told you that they will help you because they want you to be happy. But once you've recovered, they'll come around asking you to deal with it." Daphne then shook her head slightly, effectively ending the conversation. "Can we talk now? In my room?"

"Yeah…" Ron replied, his mind fixed on Daphne's words. Now that I think about it, wasn't Victor the same way? He didn't deal with Malfoy until it was too late. I won't make that mistake again. I'll give them a week, and then I'm solving this myself. Ron followed Daphne to her room quietly, and once they were both inside, Daphne closed and locked the door. "I've never been in here" Ron told her as he looked around. "It looks… normal…"

"What did you expect it to look like?" Daphne asked, she was standing by the door.

"I don't know…" Ron shrugged as he faced her. "I expected clothes to be everywhere, some girly stuff…"

"Girly stuff?" Daphne smirked. "Were you hoping to see our underwear? You're a pervert…"

"What?!" Ron exclaimed, his ear turning red. "No, I swear! I was thinking like stuffed toys, or something…"

"I'm only teasing you, Ron" Daphne giggled, but then her mood shifted to a more somber one. Damn, for a second there I thought that maybe she wasn't upset with me.

"Daphne, tell me what's bothering you" Ron ordered. "I'm not good at figuring out people's… emotional stuff. So you need to spell it out for me." Daphne shifted in her spot for a bit, and then she looked at Ron with a guilty look.

"I said… I said some really mean thing to you" Daphne finally managed, and Ron blinked at her. "Things that weren't completely true, but not completely false either… You're not the worst person that I've ever met, but sometimes… sometimes you really hurt us…" Ron averted his gaze and shuffled his feet, her words coming back to him. "I know you were on the Potion when you became… cold. And I know that you're going through things that I can't even begin to understand… But we're your friends, and you sometimes… you sometimes make us feel like we're a burden to you."

"I don't think that" Ron denied immediately, his pleading eyes staring into her wide ones. "I have never once thought that in my life, I swear it. I love you guys more than you can imagine…" Daphne blinked at that, and then she smiled knowingly.

"I know that" Daphne nodded gently. "I know that I was completely wrong to tell you that you are the worst person that I've ever met, and that you only hurt people… I was angry, and… really stupid. I know that you give a lot more than you take… I'm sorry for saying those things."

"That's fine… I deserved it…" Ron sighed, and Daphne walked right up to him. I was a horrible git to everyone while I was on that Potion.

"No, you didn't" Daphne argued in a soft voice, and Ron flushed because of how close she was. He took a step back, but she just took step forward. "I'm… I'm trying to say that I'm sorry, but you're just blaming yourself for what I said. Ron, I was way out of line when I said those horrible things to you…" Daphne averted her gaze her little, her cheeks turning red. "I know… I know that I can be… forceful… and a little possessive…" A little? No, don't say that out loud. She's trying to apologize. "And I'm really sorry if what I said gave you…"

"The seizure?" Ron blinked, and she nodded meekly. "Daphne, you had nothing to do with my seizure." Ron grabbed her shoulders firmly, and he looked her dead in the eyes. "Sure, your words hurt… But I'm not blameless in this, I know that. As for my seizure, it happened because of my stress and because of… my brain-damage. Not because of you. Do you understand?" When she didn't reply, Ron shook her slightly. "Daphne, tell me you understand that." Her eyes welled up as her nose turned a shade redder.

"I feel really bad…" Daphne sniffled, her face contorting from guilt. "I feel like I'm the thing that pushed you over the edge…" Ron pulled her into a tight hug, did she really blame herself for what the Entity had done? You evil cunt, look at what you've done! "I told…" Daphne released a sob. "I told father that we fought… And he got really angry… at me… So did mother…" She started crying in earnest, and Ron found himself shushing her like some useless moron. Merlin, what do I do? Just pretend that she's Ginny… No wait, what the fuck? I can't see Daphne like that, dammit. Should I just let her get it out of her system? Fuck, I hate not knowing what to do.

"It wasn't your fault" Ron consoled her as he rubbed her back, and she released a lung wracking sob. "I don't blame you, no one can blame you. Everything's going to be alright, just let it out Daph…"

---

Ten Minutes Later

Daphne had gone to the bathroom to wash up, while Ron sat on her bed. She had cried for ten minutes straight, and Ron had hugged her the entire time. He had officially set the world-record for the longest hug ever given. I can't believe that she blamed herself for my seizure, and I can't believe that her parents got cross with her for 'putting more stress on me'. What a load of dung! I don't want to disrespect them, but I need to tell them to back off. Someone banged into the door, and Ron looked up.

"Daphne, why is this locked?" came Pansy's voice. Ron got up and walked over to the door, and then he unlocked and opened it. Pansy's eyes widened at the sight of him, and they just stared at each other. "What are you doing in here, Ron?" Pansy asked, her eyes fixed on his.

"Daphne… blamed herself for my seizure" Ron whispered, and Pansy adorned an understanding look.

"Oh…" So she knows about it, do the other girls know as well?

"Yeah, and she… cried… a lot" Ron mumbled. "She's in the bathroom washing up… Do you want to take over from here?" Please say yes, I don't know how to make her feel better.

"What?" Pansy blinked.

"I don't really know what I'm doing, Pans…" Ron sighed, he really didn't. "So I was…"

"No" Pansy cut him off, and this time he blinked at her. "Just tell her that you're there for her, and that you want to hear what she has to say." What the…? "Oh, and give her a hug." Again?!

"Pans…"

"Shhh" Pansy shushed as she pushed him back into the room, an odd look in her eyes. "Just be there for her." What in the actual fuck? Pansy then closed the door, and he heard her run off.

"Ron, who was that?" came Daphne's hoarse voice from behind him, and Ron turned around with a confused look on his face.

"It was Pansy" Ron shook his head as he walked over to Daphne's bed, and she joined him. "I told her that you were in the bathroom, and she just ran off." Daphne rolled her puffy eyes as she sat down beside Ron.

"Ignore them, they're just… weird" Daphne told him, her hoarse voice making him feel a pang of guilt. What did Pansy say that I should do?

"Daph…" Ron started, and she looked at him with a soft smile. Ron shifted closer to her and put his right arm around her, something that made her turn a little red. "I don't blame you for my stress, and I never will. I just want you to know that I'm here for you, and that I will always hear what you have to say. Just like you do for me." Ronald Weasley plagiarizes once again. Daphne's growing smile made Ron thank Pansy internally, he figured that he'd just go to her when things like this came up.

"That was a really sweet thing to say, Ron" Daphne smiled happily, and Ron smiled back. It was totally my idea.

"Thanks…" Ron blushed, it felt nice to say the right thing occasionally. "We should probably head back, otherwise people will get suspicious."

"Suspicious about what?" Daphne's smile turned sly.

"You know…" Ron muttered, his gaze going towards the now unlocked door.

"No, I don't" Daphne giggled, her voice still raw. "You have tell me. Use your words Ron, I know that you've gotten better with them." Ron sighed, she sure loved teasing him.

"They might get suspicious about our… different kind of friendship" Ron said, and Daphne giggled again. "Enjoying yourself?"

"Immensely" Daphne replied smugly. "You're so cute when you get all bashful."

"Thanks" Ron chuckled, at least she was in a happier mood now. That's all that matters. Plus, the teasing isn't so bad. Ron stood up to leave, but Daphne pulled him back down. "Okay then…"

"You don't want a reward for making me feel better?" Daphne scooted closer to him, and Ron swallowed thickly.

"I… I didn't do it… for a reward" Ron managed, it had been a while since they did this.

"Now that only makes me want to reward you more" Daphne smiled widely. "Unless you really want to go back?"

"No… No, I'll take the reward" Ron couldn't stop his lips from smiling.

---

Wednesday 6th May, 1993 (Great Hall – Close to Dinner's End)

Snape wasn't here, something that Ron could sort of understand. He himself lost his appetite whenever he was really stressed about something, and Ron had given Snape plenty of reasons to be stressed. Dumbledore on the other hand, was sitting in his chair in the middle of the staff table. But he wasn't eating… He was just staring at his plate in a tired fashion. The other Professors were shooting him looks of concern, and even some students, but he just sat there as he thought about… everything. Ron shot the occasional glance towards the old man, just to make sure that he was still alive.

"Ron, did you hear me?" came Pansy's voice, and Ron looked away from the Headmaster slowly. I broke the old codger.

"Sorry, Pans" Ron smiled, and she frowned in annoyance.

"I was saying that since you have this weekend off, we should have another picnic" Pansy suddenly broke into a smile, and Ron chuckled at her sudden shift in demeanor. Daphne, Tracey, and Millie seemed to really like the idea, and judging by Daphne's look, she wanted Ron to like it as well. The last one was really fun, why not.

"I think that's a great idea" Ron agreed, and Pansy beamed. "The last one was really fun, and relaxing."

"Mate…" Blaise sighed, and the girls frowned at him. "I was hoping that you'd disagree…"

"Why?" Tracey asked haughtily.

"Because Potter is playing on Saturday" Theo answered for Blaise. "We wanted to make some easy money, but we can't do that if we're not there to collect it."

"Then don't come" Millie said bluntly, and Theo feigned hurt.

"Lady Bulstrode, how could you say something so unkind?" Theo asked her, and Ron fought the urge to laugh. Millie was not amused…

"Don't call me that, or I'll force Potter's broom down your throat" Millie warned with a glare.

"Naughty…" Theo grinned, and Ron and Tracey broke into a laugh. Blaise, Pansy, and Daphne were stifling their laughter, while Millie looked ready to jump Theo.

"You're sick" Millie glowered. And hilarious.

"Nope, you're just too easy to rile up" Theo shrugged, and then he turned to Pansy. "Can't we do it on Sunday?"

"I wanted to do it on Ron's free day" Pansy replied.

"Theo, just come to the picnic" Tracey said, her laughter still in her voice. "You get to eat sandwiches and relax, what's the harm?"

"Money" Blaise replied, and the girls rolled their eyes. Sunday still works, I don't see the need to have it on Saturday.

"You have money" Daphne shot back. "But Ron never gets Saturdays off, that's what we're celebrating."

"I don't mind…" Ron started, but Tracey shushed him.

"You don't get a say in this, Ron" Tracey grinned, and Ron blinked.

"What the fuck?" Ron asked, and he was immediately kicked in the shins. "My legs…"

"We're having it on Saturday, and that's final" Pansy huffed. "I've already made the sandwiches, and I've ordered the cake." Cake?

"What kind?" Ron asked, a hungry look in his eyes.

"A hummingbird cake" Pansy smiled, and Ron had no idea what a 'hummingbird cake' was.

"I'm in" Blaise said suddenly, and both Theo and Ron looked to him. "What? Those cakes are amazing. Bugger Quidditch, I'd rather have good food." Pansy smiled in a knowing way, and Theo sighed.

"Fine, since you all insist" Theo said dramatically, and the bell went off before Millie could retort. They all got up from their chairs and began to leave, and Ron shot one last look at Dumbledore. The old man was looking at him, but he looked away when Ron saw him. He needs time, but I won't wait forever. As they stepped into the Great Hall, their paths were intercepted by the Golden Trio.

"Hey Ron, nice to see you up and about" Harry greeted, and Ron smiled at him.

"Yeah, I'm glad to be out of the Hospital Wing" Ron replied, and then he looked to his Slytherin friends.

"We'll see you in the common room" Daphne said, her eyes fixed on Ron's. Ron nodded gratefully, he didn't want to break up another argument. The Slytherins left one by one, with Blaise and Theo being the last ones to disappear from sight.

"Do you want to talk in the Courtyard?" Hermione asked, she was keen to find out about what had happened to him.

"Sure, lead the way" Ron replied, and then he followed the Trio out. What they all failed to notice was that a certain Slytherin saw them all leaving together. Once they got to the Courtyard, the Trio turned and face Ron with concerned looks. Um… What?

"What happened, Ron?" Hermione asked quickly. "Did Greengrass do something to you?" Ron's temper flared up at the absurd thought, but he pulled it in just as quickly. Deep breaths Ron, just like Pomfrey taught you.

"No, she saved my life" Ron replied, and Hermione waited for him to go on. "I had a seizure…"

"Oh no" Hermione gasped, her hands covering her mouth.

"Why?" Neville asked.

"My Magical Core became unstable because of severe exhaustion" Ron lied, and Neville muttered something under his breath.

"Can being tired really kill wizards?" Harry asked, his face paling. Maybe, but having a demonic prick in your head certainly has its dangers.

"Sort of" Neville replied, and everyone looked to him. "I've spent a lot of time in hospitals…" Why? Harry and Hermione adorned understanding looks, which only made Ron more curious. Stop that. That's Neville's business, not mine. "The only time exhaustion can kill a wizard, or witch, is when they're exhausted to the point of no return."

"Ron?" Hermione looked to him, she sounded scandalized. "Why were you so exhausted?"

"I don't know how to… relax" Ron grinned, and the Trio gave him shocked looks.

"Stop grinning, mate" Harry frowned suddenly. "This is not a joke. Do you have any idea how worried everyone was for you? Your family was devastated, as were Sirius and Remus."

"Even Lord and Lady Greengrass rushed down here" Neville mimicked Harry's frown. Damn, tough crowd.

"Believe me, I know how serious this is" Ron lost his grin. "The blood vessels in my eyes burst, and that fucking hurt." Harry and Neville winced, while Hermione just frowned at his language. "Anyway, I'm not allowed to push myself for the time being."

"So you can't come to the study group tomorrow?" Hermione looked crestfallen, whereas Harry and Neville rolled their eyes.

"Hermione, he almost died" Harry sighed.

"Let the bloke have a break from studying" Neville added on, and Hermione drew in a sharp breath. Oh fuck, intervene!

"I'll be there" Ron told her quickly. "I'll just help others with their work."

"Ron, don't do that" Harry told him with a firm tone. "Take a day off, we'll survive." Hermione looked ready to argue against Harry, but they were all interrupted by a particularly arrogant voice.

"Look at that, Weasley's made up with his Gryffindor 'friends'…" came Malfoy's voice from behind Ron, and the Trio immediately broke into deep scowls. Ron just sighed tiredly, Malfoy's timing was both a blessing and a curse.

"Sod off, Malfoy" Harry spat out. "And take your goons with you." Ron turned around at that, and he immediately noticed that Malfoy wasn't alone. He had Crabbe, Goyle, Flint, and a couple of third years with him. Outnumbered… great.

"Shut up, Potter" Crabbe warned as he cracked his thick fingers. Ohhh, menacing.

"Wow, a coherent sentence" Hermione retorted. "Seems like evolution is catching up with you, Crabbe."

"Malfoy, what do you want?" Ron asked, his right hand slipping ever closer to his robe pocket. If a fight breaks out, I'm taking out Flint first.

"I saw you leaving the Entrance Hall with Gryffindor's… 'Finest', and I figured that I'd show the others your true colors" Malfoy smirked, his confidence boosted by his advantage in numbers.

"The others being your lackeys?" Ron asked, and then he looked to Flint. "A sixth year following a second year around like some personal dog… Where is your self-respect, Flint?" Flint looked murderous at that, and Ron smirked in return. Just keep your distance because if he gets to too close, he'll beat the piss out of you. "And you two, aren't you third years?" It's always the same with these people, they always find a reason to start licking Malfoy's feet. Is he that charismatic, or am I just an arsehole? Bit of both, I reckon.

"You lot better think about your actions" Neville piped in, his voice coming out slightly weaker than usual.

"Oh look, Longbottom's scared" Flint laughed.

"Well, have you looked into a mirror recently?" Hermione shot back, and both Ron and Harry barely held back their laughter.

"Watch your mouth, Mud…" Flint started, but Ron ripped out his wand and aimed it at Flint.

"Finish that sentence, and I'll finish you" Ron hissed, his humor completely disappearing. The Slytherins took out their wands, as did the Trio. "Don't make me lose my temper, Malfoy…" Ron turned his head and cracked his neck loudly, something Dark stirring in his chest. I'll break your fucking bones, just give me a reason.

"What is the meaning of this?" came McGonagall's voice, and everyone hid their wands. The Transfiguration Professor came up from behind the Slytherins, her famous scowl etched upon her face. "Explain yourselves at once!"

"It was them, Professor" Hermione shot up instantly.

"We were just having a heated debate, Professor" Ron interjected, he didn't want the other Slytherins siding against him. "No harm was done." Hermione frowned at Ron, whereas McGonagall just eyed him.

"Mr. Weasley" McGonagall huffed. "You have just now come back from the Hospital Wing… Is your intention to secure a permanent residence within Madam Pomfrey's Wing? If so, then I will happily oblige you." Oh shite, she's pissed. "As for… this… Five points from each of you, now leave for your common rooms at once." The Slytherins turned around and left immediately, but not before Malfoy shot Ron a warning look. This twat… Does he have any clue about what I can do to him? "Mr. Weasley, stay a moment." The Trio slowly began to leave as well. Hermione looked rather irritated with Ron lying to McGonagall, whereas Neville and Harry just shot him sympathetic looks.

"Professor?" Ron asked.

"Just wait a moment, Mr. Weasley" McGonagall replied. "I don't want you to have an accident whilst using the moving staircase." Oh, she's right. Malfoy's gang would definitely do me in on the way down. Ron waited patiently for a couple of minutes, while McGonagall just stared at him. "You were discharged today, and you are already overdoing things." Ron averted his gaze because of her scolding tone.

"I was just talking to my friends" Ron told her, and she gave him an understanding look.

"Try a more public place next time, Mr. Weasley" McGonagall sighed, she didn't have it in her to scold him properly. She, and the other Professors, had thought of little else other than Ron's condition and brain-damage. Pomona hadn't taken it very well, especially after finding out that his brain-damage was caused by the Dark-Lord's attack. "Off you go, Mr. Weasley. And no loitering…" Ron didn't argue against that, and he left in a hurry. I might need to fix this Malfoy problem earlier than expected.

---

Thursday 7th May, 1993 (Potions Class – Last Period)

"What's even the point of a Hair-Raising Potion?" Tracey asked as Ron chopped the Rat's Tail into three equal pieces.

"To raise your hair" Ron replied with a smirk, and Tracey gave him a deadpan look.

"Haha, Ronald" Tracey spoke in a monotone voice. "You're so funny. I've seen Blaise crack better jokes."

"Wasn't joking" Ron shrugged as he put the Rat's Tail pieces into the cauldron. "I was answering your questions."

"Hmmm" Tracey hummed, and then she smiled slyly before creeping closer to Ron. What is she doing? "Tell me, why were you and Daphne gone for so long?" Here we go. Leave it to Tracey to bring that up.

"She blamed herself for my seizure, and I was convincing her that it wasn't her fault" Ron replied, keeping his composure.

"Oh" Tracey muttered, her smile falling. "I was hoping for something more… fun…" Turn this around on her.

"Like what?" Ron asked. "Oh, I know… You were hoping that she'd give me permission to touch her breasts." Tracey flushed red at that, and Ron grinned.

"You little twat" Tracey chuckled, her cheeks turning bright red. "I thought that we decided to never speak of that again."

"I never agreed to anything" Ron shot back. "Do I still have your permission?"

"Are you still gay?" Tracey asked back, her voice humorous.

"If I say yes, do I have your permission?" Ron asked, and Tracey pretended to think about it.

"If you say yes, then you have my permission" Tracey replied.

"I'm gay" Ron told her, and Tracey giggled.

"Go on then" Tracey moved her hands to her sides, and Ron clicked his tongue. "Yeah, thought so."

"We're in class, and my grades are important to me" Ron told her, and she nodded with condescending look.

"Sure, Ron" Tracey cooed. "I totally believe you."

"You're playing with fire, Davis" Ron told her, a wide smile on his face. "I'll do it, and you bloody know I will."

"Promises, promises" Tracey sighed in an exaggerated manner, and then her eyes went to something behind Ron. Before Ron could turn around, something squishy hit the back of his head. What the…? Ron turned around to see Malfoy sniggering with Goyle. For fuck's sake, he's getting bolder. "Ron, ignore him. Theo and Blaise are asking around about why Flint is playing lackey for Malfoy. Once we figure that out, we'll take away his personal Troll. Then he won't be so brazen."

"He'll find another way back, he always does" Ron frowned as he looked to the front of the class. He immediately saw Snape just staring at him, and Ron stared back. Snape's black eyes went towards Malfoy, and something shifted behind them. Maybe I shouldn't have made that promise. Malfoy can't help but be an arsehole, he's too spoiled for anything else. Tracey and Ron began working in silence after that, but Tracey eventually got tired of that.

"What are you thinking about, Ron?" Tracey whispered as she nudged him lightly.

"Malfoy… I'm wondering about why he's such a git" Ron told her as he stirred the Potion. And about how I can help change that. Just because his Future has changed because of me knowing about it doesn't mean that he can't be… fixed. He clearly has the potential to be better…

"He's a spoiled brat, Ron" Tracey told him. "Don't waste your time thinking about him, that's what he wants you to do. I only knew him for a couple of years, and in all of that time, he was always a prat. He'd always make sure that he was sitting in a position where we would all face him, and he'd rant on and on about Blood-Purity. Honestly, it was like he was just repeating what his Death-Eater daddy told him. It was sick, and I hated going anywhere near him."

"But you went because Daphne did" Ron figured, and she nodded.

"I didn't have any Magical friends before Daphne, and I never really fit in at any Muggle schools" Tracey told him, and he silently kept stirring the Potion. "I did have Muggle friends, but I had to hide everything from them. They weren't allowed to come to my house, and so they never invited me to theirs. Eventually I got sick of it, and I… threw a massive tantrum at my parents."

"A tantrum?" Ron asked, and she sighed tiredly.

"It was stupid…" Tracey admitted, but Ron didn't agree.

"You were lonely, and you wanted it to stop" Ron said, and she blinked at him. "I often felt like that when I was younger, so I know how terrible it feels…" Tracey smiled at that, and she continued her story.

"After my tantrum, my father contacted Lord Greengrass" Tracey told him. "They were friends from… the war… Anyway, Lord Greengrass just showed up at our house after that. And he brought Daphne along with him." Ron smiled at that, it all worked out for Tracey in the end. "She was so snobby, I hated her guts from the get-go." Huh?

"What?" Ron blinked, and Tracey smiled widely.

"I know right, how shocking…" Tracey chuckled. "She eyed our house with something akin to disgust, and when I took her to my room, she asked me why my bed was so small. I nearly punched her in the face right there."

"Bloody hell" Ron shot a frown towards Daphne, and she saw him. Daphne looked confused for a moment, but then she narrowed her eyes at him. Oh shite. Ron looked back to a grinning Tracey, and she tutted him.

"You already know that it all worked out in the end" Tracey said, and Ron sighed.

"How?" Ron asked.

"I told her that I didn't like her snobby attitude, and that I didn't want to be her friend" Tracey shrugged, and Ron looked at her like she had two heads. "She was shocked beyond words, how could anyone tell the Greengrass Heiress that she wasn't wanted? So instead of leaving my room, she planted herself on my bed and refused to leave until I apologized for being a bad host. I told her she was being a bad guest, and we just eyeballed each other for what felt like hours. And as it turned out, Lord Greengrass had already gone home without her. The look on her face…" Tracey giggled.

"Lord Greengrass certainly is a character, isn't he?" Ron chuckled. "Then what happened?"

"Dinner time came around, and Daphne was still being a stubborn git" Tracey went on, and Ron forgot about their Potion. "I told her to come down and eat, but she just pouted angrily at me. I could see that she was scared of being alone in a Muggle house, so I couldn't bring myself to keep being mad at her. I brought her food up for her, food that she ate in a rather 'princess-like' fashion. But despite that, she asked me for seconds. I obliged, and she finished that too. She then demanded that I give her something suitable to wear for bed-time, and once again, I obliged her."

"I gave her my spare pajamas, and she was shocked at how 'simple' they were" Tracey went on, and Ron found himself being annoyed by the 'younger' Daphne. "That pissed me right off, and I threw the pajamas at her. I told her to wear them if she wanted, otherwise she could just sleep in her 'extravagant' dress. While she was changing, I started asking her about the Wizarding World. I was really curious about it, and she took the chance to start showing off her knowledge. I realized that she liked feeling important, so that's how I made her feel. She kept going on and on, and I kept listening about the world that I was always meant to be a part of. By the time I had heard enough, it was already midnight. That's when she realized that I was just stroking her ego to get something out of her. But instead of getting angry at me, she was rather surprised by me outsmarting her."

"Let me guess" Ron smirked. "She had never gotten outsmarted by a lot of people before."

"Exactly" Tracey smirked back. "Seeing my 'potential', she decided that I was 'worthy of being her friend'. When I rebuffed her, she was genuinely shocked beyond words. She started coming over more and more after that, always trying to get on my good-side. She absolutely loathed being refused, and so she kept trying to win me over. It became something of a game" Tracey chuckled, and Ron found himself smiling. "She'd bring me sweets, books, and all-sorts of Magical paraphernalia. In a couple of months, I found myself looking forward to her visits. And she found herself looking forward to coming over to mine. We just… became friends."

"That's really…" Ron started, but Snape suddenly billowed in front of them.

"Potion check" Snape said icily, his eyes looking into Ron's cauldron. Ron immediately realized that he had forgotten about their Potion, as did Tracey judging by her tense posture. "Mr. Weasley… Ms. Davis… I asked you to create a simple Hair Raising Potion, and you have instead concocted a mixture that would lay waste to this school's population." Snape turned his glare towards Ron, and Ron stared down at his feet. He's going to make me drink this, isn't he? There was muffled laughter somewhere in the background, and Ron knew that it was coming from Malfoy. "You will both be remaking this Potion… in detention. Tonight!" Snape then marched off, and Ron shot Tracey an apologetic grin.

"Well, it could've been worse" Tracey said, her own face splitting into a grin. "He could've made us drink that."

"My thoughts exactly" Ron replied, and they both began sniggering. The school bell went off not long after that, and both Ron and Tracey packed up their things. As everyone was leaving, Snape called out after them.

"Mr. Malfoy, stay behind a moment" Snape said icily, and Malfoy stopped with an arrogant smirk in place.

---

Draco Malfoy's POV

Thursday 7th May, 1993 (Potions Classroom – After Classes)

Weasley had managed to ruin a rather simple Potion, and that pleased Draco quite a bit. Perhaps the 'famous' Blood-Traitor wasn't so perfect after all. Draco himself had made the Potion to perfection, which only made this sweeter. And the cherry on top was the fact that Weasley had gotten himself a detention too, and Snape had torn into him right in front of everyone. Including his disgusting Gryffindor friends. Godfather doesn't favor Weasley like every other Professor in this school, because unlike them, he sees Weasley for the stain that he is.

"Draco, come here" came Snape's voice as the classroom door closed, and Draco made his way to his Godfather.

"Was Weasley's Potion really that bad, Godfather?" Draco asked, his excitement growing at the prospect of Weasley failing.

"It was indeed" Snape replied, and Draco found himself holding back a snigger. Who messes up such a simple Potion? "Though it would make for an excellent poison."

"Perhaps Weasley should drink it" Draco smirked, and his Godfather's demeanor changed completely. "Godfather?"

"I saw you throwing things in my class, Draco" Snape said in a cold whisper, a tone that he usually reserved for berating. Damn, he saw me?

"Oh, that was…"

"Silence" Snape hissed, and Draco lost his good mood immediately. "I will not tolerate this kind of pathetic, childish behavior within my classroom. The next time I see you throw an ingredient at someone, I will force it down your throat." Draco's eyes widened, and he quickly averted his gaze. "Not to mention that McGonagall came to me about your behavior after dinner last night. Foolish boy… Doing something so stupid in public."

"Weasley was associating…"

"Who he associates with is none of your concern" Snape suddenly barked, and Draco flinched from fright. Snape only ever took this kind of harsh tone when he was truly livid, and that thought scared Draco. "You're fixation with him is the reason why your standing within Slytherin is so… poor." Draco's stomach tightened from hurt, he didn't want to hear something like that from his Godfather.

"They're willing to accept a Blood…"

"They are willing to accept him because he has proven himself to the house" Snape cut him off. "He secured the House-Cup last year, he has earned more house-points in the last sixth months than you have in the last two years, not to mention that he has made powerful connections outside of Hogwarts. His fame rises by the day, and he works to stay ahead of everyone around him. Whereas you…" Snape stopped, and Draco shuffled his feet as he stared at the ground. He didn't even know what to think of this, Snape had never spoken of Weasley like this before. And if Draco was being honest, it hurt him.

"Draco, look at me" Snape said in a softer tone, and Draco did as he was told. He was shocked to see Snape suddenly look… almost sad. "You are liable for the consequences of your actions, do you understand?" Draco nodded slowly, where was this coming from? Snape suddenly looked resigned, and he took in a deep breath.

"Godfather, what has happened?" Draco asked meekly, his voice betraying him. He's starting to worry me. Is he unwell? Why wasn't he at dinner last night? "Are you feeling unwell? I noticed that you weren't at dinner yesterday, is everything alright?" Snape just stared at him, something shifting in his black eyes. "I will help with whatever it is, I promise."

"Do not worry about me, Draco" Snape replied, but that didn't stop Draco from worrying whatsoever. "Listen to me, and listen well. You may be the Heir to the Malfoy Family, but the world doesn't care about that. Despite what your father has told you, the world does not care for such things. It will come after you just like it does for everyone and everything, and you as you are now, will not survive it." Survive it?

"I have played a key role in creating your current attitude" Snape went on, it was like he was talking to himself. "So I will tell you the truth right now. You are a spoiled child who has never wanted for anything in his entire life." Draco flinched at that, but Snape put his hands on Draco's shoulders to stead him. "I have always treated you as my own, you know this to be true." Draco gave a shaky nod, something was definitely wrong with his Godfather today. He's not dying, is he? The thought made his heart clench, he loved Snape dearly. "Weasley grew up with nothing, and yet, he has amassed relative wealth and fame through hard work. Even you cannot deny that."

"He's a…"

"Him being a Blood-Traitor means nothing to his allies and friends" Snape cut him off. "Even the current Triumvirate prefer him over you, as do the three in-line for the Silver Triumvirate of next year. Draco, I need you to start looking at the world for what it is. Your father loves you, but he doesn't understand that his vision for you is holding you back. Your expectations for what the world owes you are meaningless to other people."

"Where is this coming from?" Draco managed, his throat tightening. What the fuck is going on?! Why is he saying these things?!

"I am watching you fail every day, and now… After everything I've…" Snape stopped again, his black tunnel-like eyes staring into Draco's stormy grey ones. "Do you want to succeed within Slytherin?" Draco nodded slowly. "Do you want to reach your full potential?" Draco nodded again. "Do want to live a life that you yourself can be proud of?" Draco nodded once again, his eyes fixed on his Godfather's. "Then you need to start looking at your surroundings with your own eyes, and not your father's. I know that you lie to him about your school-life, and I know why you do it."

"It's not…" Draco started, his heart beating in his throat painfully.

"You are not your father" Snape told him. "You can be better, but only if you get out of your own way. From now on, I need you to start holding a mirror in front of yourself. Don't point fingers at other people for your own shortcomings, otherwise you will never overcome them. Do you understand?"

"I… I do…" Draco replied, he had no fucking idea about what his Godfather was saying.

"Good" Snape said as he let go of Draco's shoulders. "Remember my words, Draco. I will not be as tolerant the next time, I can promise you that. From this day on, I will personally hold you accountable. And your little one-sided feud with Weasley ends today. It. Ends. Or I will let your father know of the truth, and about how you've brought it upon yourself." Draco swallowed thickly, his breathing had become shallow at some point. "Now go about your day, and know that I have my eyes fixed upon you." Draco turned around, and he walked towards the exit in a daze of sorts. "And Draco, this conversation will remain between us."

"Y… Yes, Godfather" Draco answered without turning around, and then he left the classroom. Goyle had already taken Draco's belongings back with him, so that was one less thing on Draco's mind. As he walked back towards the common room, his Godfather's words rang through his head. What just happened? Part of Draco was angry at being spoken to that way, but it was a very small part. Snape had never led him astray before, but Snape had never told him to be a different person before either. What did he mean by my father's vision of me holding me back? Father has always been there for me, and he wants what's best for me.

"Legacy" Draco said to the entrance, and it slid out of the way. Draco stepped inside, but not before composing himself a little. The moment he stepped inside, his eyes went towards Weasley as they always did. The Blood-Traitor was sitting by the fire-place as usual, and he was surrounded by Draco's former friends. They were all laughing, especially the Half-Blood. Draco's eyes lingered on Blaise and Theo, both of whom were trying to stifle their laughs. Jealousy once again reared its ugly head within Draco, those two had never laughed like that around him. Draco's eyes then went towards Weasley, who telling some story to the group, and Draco found himself staring. He took my friends, how is my situation not his fault?

The traitorous voice of reason told him that Weasley didn't take them, they left Draco for Weasley. And then, that all too familiar feeling of loneliness began to engulf him again. Do I really want to go and talk to Crabbe and Goyle? They don't even talk, they just sit there and stare at me. Draco turned around and left the common room, it felt like he was being cast out into the cold to fend for himself. That's how he had been feeling ever since coming back from the Easter Break. Like he was fighting just to stay… relevant. Most of the House preferred Weasley, and although it hurt his pride to admit that, it was simply true.

The Triumvirate shut him down every time he mentioned Weasley's open association with the lesser Houses, those three sixth year girls ignored Draco completely in all regards, and all the first years admired Weasley rather than Draco. I still have… Draco stopped mid-thought. Who did he have? Crabbe and Goyle were… Crabbe and Goyle. Flint only followed him around because Draco had made promises about Quidditch that he knew he couldn't keep. Potter was unbeatable as Seeker. Another lie that will eventually catch up to me. Draco felt dread creep into his stomach, Flint was a massive guy. And once Draco started losing to Potter next year, Flint would make him pay.

Draco quickened his pace. Where am I going? Draco kept walking, his breathing becoming more and more shallow by the second. And before he knew it, he was standing at the shore of the Black Lake. This is where Weasley comes for his runs. Weasley… and Theo and Blaise. Draco looked around the vast lake, and he began to feel slightly calmer. I could run around this lake too, it doesn't look that hard. Draco loosened his tie, and then untucked his shirt. With that done, he began running.

---

Ronald Weasley's POV

Friday 8th May, 1993 (Sanctuary – After Midnight)

"Sorting Hat, I need you" Ron called, he was standing in front of the lit fireplace.

"Ronald, I've been meaning to talk to you" came the Hat's voice, and Ron turned to find it sitting in his favorite chair.

"I need to talk to you as well" Ron nodded. "You go first."

"Why did you lie to Albus and Severus?" the Hat asked, its voice showing its annoyance. "You did not have a vision of them speaking about Lucius and Cornelius, I told you that bit of information. And I do know of your visions, but you lied about that too. What are you planning, my boy?"

"There's no easy way to ask this, so just hear me out first" Ron started as he straightened his posture. "I lied about you because I don't want them to know that we're… working together. If they know that you know everything about me, then they will come to you looking for answers."

"I… see" the Hat responded, its voice slow and drawled out.

"Also, I need you to spy on them for me" Ron added.

"Excuse me?" the Hat asked.

"I need you to spy on them, but mostly I need you to spy on Dumbledore" Ron clarified.

"And why would I do such a thing?" the Hat asked. "Ronald… Albus is the Headmaster of Hogwarts…"

"And yet, you still told me what he and Snape were up to" Ron interjected. "You can spy on him, there is no Magical limitation placed upon you in that regard."

"Even still… Where is this coming from?" the Hat asked in confused tone. "I thought you planned to confess everything?"

"At first, I did" Ron sighed. "But then I got there, and I realized something… If I give Dumbledore everything, then he has no use for me."

"Ronald…"

"Let me finish" Ron said gently, and the Hat stopped. "I've picked up a few things when it comes to negotiations over the last two years. And one of the things that I've learnt is that you never put everything on the table. I told him what he needed to hear for the time being, and I believe that it's enough. I need assurances from him, and for those assurances to be met, I need to have some semblance of control in our partnership. My visions give me that control. I did not fight off the Entity to simply hand over my life to Albus Dumbledore. This is my life. My Cycle. I get to have the final say."

"I can understand where you are coming from, my boy" the Hat sighed. "But reconsider this path. Tell him everything so that he can begin…"

"He won't change a damn thing, and you know it" Ron interjected. "He was patiently waiting for the Dark Lord to return. He brought the Philosopher's Stone into a school full of children when he knew that the Dark Lord was looking for it. He did nothing to stop the Heir, and this school would be shut down if it wasn't for me and my friends. Dumbledore is not a God. He has given me plenty of reasons to doubt him, and I'm not just going to let him take over my Cycle. My visions were granted to me, and only to me. And I will share them when I see fit."

"I cannot force you to do something that you don't want to do, but asking me to spy on him… Ronald, you have changed."

"Isn't that what you wanted?" Ron asked, he wasn't going to apologize for being more aware of the world around him. "The Entity may have influenced you, but your words were your own. Right?"

"Yes…" the Hat replied.

"Well, I've changed" Ron admitted. "I grew out of hero-worshiping a man whose lack of oversight left me permanently scarred. I learned that the world isn't just black-and-white. I learned that even inside a House that I grew up hating, there are people worth protecting. If I was in any other House, I'd have probably never understood that. I'd just eat up whatever nonsense that the people who worship Dumbledore do, and I'd be left unprepared." Ron then approached the Hat, towering over it. "I have made powerful allies, and I will continue to make more. And Dumbledore is one of them. I will either work as his partner in this, or I will leave him in the dark."

"I see that I cannot change your mind in this" the Hat sighed deeply.

"No, you can't" Ron smiled gently as he kneeled down to face it. "The Entity told me that Dumbledore caused a few of my Cycles to fail, and it didn't trust Dumbledore with its power. I know that the Entity is a spiteful, cruel creature… But still… Some part of me understands where it was coming from. Dumbledore makes mistakes, and I can't afford him making mistakes when the lives of my loved ones hang in the balance. Which is why I need you to keep an eye on him for me. If I know what he is up to, then I can act accordingly."

"You are asking me to betray the Headmaster of Hogwarts, my boy…" the Hat said tiredly. "You are asking me to betray a man who I respect, despite his flaws. And I will not do it."

"I see" Ron stood back up. "Are you going to tell Dumbledore everything about me if he asks?"

"No, I will not say a word" the Hat replied. "You have put me in the middle of you two, and I will not play sides because you are both on the same side, dear boy. If I tell him that you lied to him, I believe that will have a negative impact on the Future. So I will hold your secrets, but I will not turn on Albus for you." Fine, go back to your Headmaster then.

"I understand" Ron nodded. "Is there anything else that you wanted to ask me?"

"No… Goodbye, Ronald" the Hat replied, and then it vanished. Ron turned back to the fire, he was slightly annoyed by the Hat's refusal, but he understood why it refused him. Entity, I don't know where you've fucked off to… But thank you. Thank you for teaching me that my life is my own, and that I am my only master.

---

Thursday 14th May, 1993 (Sanctuary – Morning Free Period)

It had been a week, and the Entity was still missing. Not that Ron missed it, of course. He couldn't be happier that it was just… gone. He had gradually begun to move on from his near-death experience, but he still had a long way to go. His nightmares were a hindrance, as was his somewhat growing dread at the prospect of a Future filled with war. But without the Entity there to haunt him, Ron had become considerably more relaxed. He still went for his morning runs with Theo and Blaise, trained against the dummies, and studied hard. But if he felt tired, he stopped pushing himself to the point of injury. His friends had taken a liking to his more relaxed demeanor, especially Daphne.

They were all currently studying while Ron trained against the dummies, but he knew that they were just pretending to study so that they could get out of training with him. Just last week, Ron would have flown into a rage induced lecture. But right now, he just found himself slightly irked by their blatant laziness. He had told them of the war, but they still didn't act to prepare themselves. And Ron knew why. Tracey's story about her first meeting with Daphne had made a few things clearer to Ron.

His friends believed themselves to be 'protected'. They believed that things would always work out for them because they always had. They were born into wealth and power, and their parents had always given them all the comforts that life could offer. They didn't know what it was like to struggle. They didn't understand how it felt to be handed second-hand clothes, toys, and wands. They had never seen something in a shop, and desperately wanted it, only to resist the urge to ask their parents for it. They had probably never even done chores before. Ron felt… sorry for them in that regard. Because when this war did come along, they would learn the hard way that life is unfair. Pansy's death still haunted him, and despite it being erased, Ron still felt the need to protect her from it.

Ron disarmed the dummy to the right, quickly dodged an incoming Disarming Charm, and then shot a Stunning Charm at the dummy on the left. With his 'enemies' defeated, Ron smiled to himself. I'm getting better at this. I think I'll start trying to take on three at a time again. Ron's thoughts were interrupted by Tracey's laughter, and he looked over to his friends. They were talking to each other, their homework forgotten. Blaise saw him looking, and he signaled the others to 'get back to work'. Ron fought the urge to frown, he didn't want to ruin the more relaxed demeanor of the group. But there has to be a time to relax, and a time to improve. Stop stepping on eggshells, or you will regret it for the rest of your life.

Ron's eyes fell to his discarded school cloak, and then he looked to his shirt-covered arms. And then it hit him. They feel protected, don't they? What if I take that feeling of security away from them with harsh truths? What if I just… show them? Show them what happened to me when I was unprepared. Ron's stomach tightened at the thought, he had always made great efforts to hide his scars. They were his biggest shame, and his biggest insecurity. They were ugly, and they made him feel ugly too. What's more important to you? Your friends, or your feelings? The answer came to him immediately, and he walked over to his friends. Show them, and let them come to their own conclusions. I'm done nagging them.

"Ron?" Daphne smiled, and he smiled back. "Done training for the day? You should probably take a shower."

"Yeah, mate" Theo blocked his nose. "You smell like rotten eggs…"

"No, he doesn't" Pansy sighed, and then she smiled at Ron. "Don't listen to him, Ron."

"What are you guys studying?" Ron asked, ignoring all of their comments. They all exchanged looks, and then gave conflicting answers. Ron once again fought the urge to frown, especially when they gave each other worried looks. "Well, if you're all done with your work… Maybe you should join me?"

"Um… I just had my hair done" Tracey looked to Daphne, who looked towards Blaise.

"I'm still sore from our morning run" Blaise lied as he looked back at Daphne.

"I'll join you, Ron" Millie piped up, and Ron smiled at her. Everyone else frowned at her, and that irked Ron greatly.

"Thank you, Millie" Ron smiled, and she smiled back half-heartedly. "Anyone else?" No one replied, and Ron looked to Daphne. She just sighed, and gave him a look that could only mean 'stop it'. No, not yet. "Can I tell you all a secret? Something that I've never told you, or anyone really." His friends just stared at him, all of them adorning worried looks. "Last year, the Dark Lord didn't just attack me." They all blinked, and leaned forward a bit. Just tell them, and allow them to learn from your mistakes.

"The Dark Lord isn't dead, but he is close to it" Ron went on, and they listened with rapt attention. "But there was an object within the school last year that could bring him back, and make him immortal."

"Immortal?" Theo interrupted, and he was shushed by everyone but Ron. His father is my biggest worry right now, and he doesn't even know it. Which side will he end up on? It doesn't matter right now, all that matters is that he learns from my mistakes.

"The Philosopher's Stone was that object, and Dumbledore knew that the Dark Lord wanted it" Ron replied. "And so he hid it inside of Hogwarts, arguably the safest place in all of Wizarding England. Unfortunately, he was wrong. The Dark Lord found his way inside the castle, just like he did this year. I… I went to find the Stone myself, I planned to destroy before the Dark Lord could find it."

"What?" Daphne gasped, all of his friends going wide-eyed and slack-jawed.

"I wasn't alone, the Trio were with me" Ron told them, and they looked gobsmacked. "But we were completely unprepared. We figured that everything would work out, and I can confirm that because that's how I literally felt. Things always worked out for me if I worked hard enough, so what could go wrong this time? We had no clue that the Dark Lord was down there at the same time as us, and when his plans were foiled by Harry, he went into a rage. Of all the people there, he attacked me. Not Hermione, a Muggle-Born. Not Neville, a Gryffindor. Not even Harry, the Boy-Who-Lived. But me, a Slytherin… And this is what was left of me when he was done." Ron loosened his tie, undid his buttons, and removed his shirt.

Their reactions were as expected, shock and horror. Tracey leaped out of her chair with eyes so wide that Ron feared they would pop out. Pansy let out a scared whimper and covered her eyes with both hands. Millie paled as she just stared at him with a horror-struck look. Daphne, Theo, and Blaise just stared at his scars with knowing looks. Ron removed his glove as well in order to show them his damaged hand. Tracey looked away at that, her body completely tense. Even Millie looked away, her eyes moving wildly as she wondered how none of them knew about Ron's… mutilated body.

"Ron, stop it" Daphne demanded, her eyes welling up. "Why are you doing this?"

"To wake you up" Ron replied, his heart beating in his throat. "I don't… I don't want to show these to you, but I still am."

"Why?" Theo asked as he looked away, the scars were haunting.

"You all seem to think that I'm telling you to prepare yourselves because I'm insane" Ron replied, and then he drew in a deep breath. "Look at me." Daphne was the only one who kept her eyes on Ron, but the others kept looking away. Something snapped in his head, fueled by his own feeling of shame. Ron turned his head and cracked his neck loudly, his face contorting from rage. "LOOK AT ME!" Ron yelled at them, and they all jumped from fright. But they all slowly looked at him, the girls' eyes welling up just like Daphne's. Ron's anger vanished when he saw that, and he adorned a more understanding look.

"I was unprepared for one moment" Ron told them as they examined his scars with scared looks. "And this is what happened to me. But only on this… I was… I was also left with permanent… permanent brain-damage…" There, I finally told them. Fucking hell…

"What the fuck?" Theo muttered.

"Ask Daphne, she can confirm it" Ron sighed, this was harder than he expected. He was an extremely private person due to his powers, but right now he felt completely naked. Probably because I am semi-nude. Everyone looked to Daphne, and she swallowed thickly and nodded.

"Oh my god…" Tracey fell into her chair, her face completely crestfallen.

"I'm not telling you this to hurt you, I'm telling you because I don't want you to get hurt" Ron said as he picked up his shirt and started putting it back on. "In the last two years, I've run into the Dark Lord twice. Both times I nearly died… The first encounter left me scarred, and in a coma. The second one left me petrified. And both incidents happened within Hogwarts, 'the safest place in Wizarding England'. So I'm not just making things up when I say that a war is coming, I know it for certain. Dumbledore knows it too, as do the Professors." His friends just sat there, their eyes fixed on him as he put his glove back on.

"And I'm not foolish, I know that we might all end up splitting up" Ron went on, and they all shifted in their seats. "But that won't change the fact that… that I love you guys. And that I want you to be safe, to be protected. I won't always be around, I might even die before the war starts… So I want you all to be ready, not for my sake, but for your own. That's why I keep asking you all to train with me, that's why I keep insisting that you all to make a better effort in befriending people from other Houses. I don't want any one of you to get hurt like I did, or worse, end up dying."

"And before you tell me that your parents will help you" Ron sighed. "How many of them escaped the last war?" His friends all looked down at that, especially Daphne who hid her gaze from his. "Life is unpredictable, and it doesn't care about who you are. Or about your Blood-Status. The Dark Lord certainly doesn't, believe me. So there you go, I've put all of my cards on the table. I won't nag you any further, I won't chase after you and give you lectures. I don't own you, and I can't make your choices for you. If you still don't want to take my advice, I'll understand. I'll still look out for you all as best I can." Ron took a deep breath, and he left for the training area. If they still don't want my help, then at least I know I did my best to persuade them.

Ron began practicing as usual, but he was distracted by their whispering. Most of them were questioning Daphne, and she was answering their inquiries. He could even hear Pansy sniffling, and although that made him feel like a piece of shite, he ignored it. He would protect Pansy no matter what happened, he had promised himself that the day he saw her die in his vision. Eventually, Ron was interrupted when his friends came to the training area. He stopped, and then he looked to them.

"There were easier ways to convince us" Theo sighed as he stepped onto the sand, and Ron shrugged.

"I tried them, they didn't seem to be working" Ron replied.

"So do we continue like usual?" Blaise asked, and Ron nodded as he fought to hide his joy. It worked? It worked! "I'll take on the first set…" Blaise sighed as he got into position, and Ron moved out of the way. Ron felt someone tug his shirt from behind, and he turned to look at Daphne.

"You opened up to them" Daphne whispered, a slightly proud smile on her face. Ron blushed a bit, and then he nodded curtly.

"I opened up to them…" Ron sighed. And it worked, I think.

"Talk to Pansy, please" Daphne whispered as she gestured towards the teary eyed girl who was watching Blaise Duel a dummy. Ron nodded again, and he walked over to Pansy.

"Pans, are you alright?" Ron asked in a gentle tone, he didn't mean to make her this upset. She looked at him with a sad look and sniffled.

"I'm fine… Daphne told us that your… That it won't get worse if you manage your stress" Pansy replied.

"Yeah, it's not life-threatening if I keep my stress in check" Ron smiled, and she suddenly hugged him. He slowly put his arms around, and he patted her back. "I'm fine, I swear. I'm actually feeling a hundred times better than I was last week, which is why I was able to finally show you guys my scars."

"You showed me your hand, and I thought that that was it…" Pansy sniffled, and Ron spotted Tracey and Millie looking over at them.

"I didn't want to show them to anyone, I was… embarrassed…" Ron admitted, and she squeezed him tightly. Oh shite, where is this strength coming from? My fucking back… "I know that I upset you, and I'm really sorry. But don't think that I'll be taking it easy on you because I like you."

"Like? You said that you love us" Pansy released a wet chuckle, and Ron's ears turned red.

"Yeah… Well… Whatever…" Ron chuckled.

---

Friday 15th May, 1993 (Potions Classroom – After Dinner)

Ron entered the classroom when it was his turn, all the second years were picking their electives today. Ron had looked into the notes from the three sixth year girls, and he had come to one conclusion. He was not doing Divination. Clara was the only one who did it, and she clearly hated it judging from her demented drawings of Professor Trelawney's deaths. Not to mention that he had done a lot of research into Divination during his first year, and he had come to realize that it was mostly just a sham. Ron's powers came from the Entity, and that's all that he needed to know.

"Mr. Weasley, take a seat" Snape said from behind his desk, and Ron did as he was told. They still haven't gotten back to me about what I told them. "Have you thought about your electives?" Snape asked, his eyes on a piece of parchment rather than Ron.

"I have, Sir" Ron replied. "I know that I will not be doing Divination."

"I see" Snape responded, his eyes still fixed on the parchment in front of him. Seriously?

"Which electives would help me prepare for a war the most?" Ron asked bluntly, and Snape's eyes shot up. He sneered at Ron momentarily, but then his expression morphed into one of indifference. "It's been over a week since I told you and the Headmaster of my… gift. Are you two still not convinced?"

"We are…" Snape sighed as he put the parchment down, and Ron relaxed into his seat.

"Sir, I just want to know if you've taken what I've told you seriously. That's all" Ron said, he didn't want to disrespect his favorite teacher. Snape sighed tiredly, and he seemed to age a decade.

"I am… struggling, Mr. Weasley" Snape replied, and Ron nodded in understanding. I know how… macabre this all is. "What you revealed was… jarring. The Headmaster and I have not spoken to each other since, and I have been trying to cope with the knowledge of our impending doom."

"I can, and have, changed the Future" Ron said firmly, and Snape looked into his eyes.

"Who else knows of your… secret life?" Snape asked.

"Just you, the Headmaster, and I" Ron replied. "And I don't plan on telling anymore people, not for the time being."

"A wise move" Snape sighed tiredly. "Most people do not know Occlumency, and we cannot afford you falling into the wrong hands."

"Let me worry about my secret" Ron responded, he didn't plan on just being their weapon. "You need to talk to the Headmaster, and come to terms with what's coming. I know I've had more time to cope with all of this, but you two clearly have some plans in motion. And… I want in."

"Want in?" Snape cocked an eyebrow. "Mr. Weasley, you are just a child…"

"Don't you patronize me, I've been through far too much to allow you to look down on me" Ron cut him off, his temper flaring at being called 'just a child'. Snape stared at Ron, and then he nodded curtly.

"I suppose you have…" Snape said in a whisper.

"I'm not 'just a child', and if you want my help, then we will be partners in this" Ron told the Potions Master. "Now, which subjects will help me in the Future the most?" Snape pinched the bridge of his nose, and he released a tired breath.

"I recommend Care for Magical Creatures, the Dark Lord's army will consist mostly of Dark Creatures" Snape replied, and Ron nodded. "I also recommend that you take Study of Ancient Runes, and perhaps even Arithmancy."

"Study of Ancient Runes…" Ron whispered to himself, his gloved fingers touching the Rune Ring on his left hand.

"Your Protection Ring was created with the knowledge of Runes and Wards" Snape told him. "Two disciplines of Magic that helped the resistance against the Dark Lord immensely during the last war."

"And Arithmancy?" Ron asked. "I've been going through some notes for it, but I don't understand it. It looks like gibberish to me."

"Arithmancy is a Magical discipline that studies the magical properties of numbers, including predicting the Future with numbers and numerology" Snape replied, and Ron blinked at him. "It is used to make predictions about the Future using numbers" Snape clarified.

"Isn't that a little redundant in my case?" Ron asked, and Snape nodded slowly.

"It can also help you understand the meaning behind numbers and symbols, and it is a requirement for Curse Breakers" Snape replied. "Your brother, William, is a Curse Breaker, is he not?"

"He is…" Ron replied slowly. "So knowing Arithmancy can help me break Curses placed upon objects?"

"Yes, but I suppose Study of Ancient Runes will teach you that too" Snape replied. "Arithmancy branches away from Study of Ancient Runes when it delves into predicting the Future."

"Then it's pointless for me" Ron concluded. "I can already see the Future, and the Entity itself told me that no other mortal in this Universe shares my power. I can see the Future for what it is, and not as some prediction." Snape nodded at that, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose again. "Sir? Are you feeling unwell?"

"This talk of 'Universes, Death, and this Entity'… It is difficult to grasp" Snape replied truthfully.

"It only involves me, so you don't need to worry about it" Ron sighed. "All that matters is that my ability to see the Future helps us greatly." They both went silent at that, until Snape broke that silence after a minute.

"I will put you down for Care of Magical Creatures, and for Study of Ancient Runes" Snape said, and Ron nodded. "One more thing… If we are to work together, then I'd like you to join my Potions Club."

"Really?" Ron asked, his excitement rising suddenly. "I thought only fifth years and higher were allowed in?" Snape blinked at him, and then he released a lifeless chuckle as he realized that he no longer needed Ronald to join his Club. "Sir?" Ron's eyes widened, he had never seen Snape 'laugh' before. It's really fucking creepy, please stop.

"I was going to invite you to join the Potions Club because I wanted to find out why you were creating powerful allies everywhere you went" Snape replied, and Ron just stared at the man. "I thought that you were up to something, something that could cause problems for us down the line… I was so wrong…" Ron just stared at Snape who looked utterly exhausted, his mind weighed down by Ron's confession. I need him to snap out of this. This is not the time to be moping about, we still have a chance to start preparations.

"I know that all of this is difficult to come to terms with" Ron said as he stood up, and Snape looked at him with glassy eyes. "So I will give you until the start of June, but after that… We are having a conversation about this. About what we need to be doing. And yes, I'll still join your Potions Club. I'd like you to teach me more about the last war, and maybe even some Magic." Snape's eyes widened slightly, but then he adorned an expressionless mask again. "Please Sir… Talk to the Headmaster. If you're going through so much turmoil, then he might be as well." Ron then turned around and left, while Snape rubbed his forehead in a tired fashion. The boy was right, he needed to talk to Albus about this.

---

Severus Snape's POV

Saturday 16th May, 1993 (Dumbledore's Office – Near Midnight)

"Come in" came Albus' voice, and Snape entered and closed the door behind him. Snape then cast the Silencing Charm around the Office, something that made Albus cock his eye-brow.

"Severus, the entire castle is asleep" Albus chuckled, and Snape found himself staring at the old wizard. He's laughing? Has he already made his peace with everything that we've learned? "Take a seat, Severus. Let me pour us some tea."

"I don't want tea, Albus" Snape replied curtly as he took a seat.

"Wine then?" Albus asked, and Snape refused by raising his hand. "What brings you here so late?"

"Weasley…" Snape replied, and Albus adorned a more serious look. "He wants in."

"Does he?" Albus rubbed his chin, his eyes becoming distant.

"Albus, he is only a child" Snape started. "But he is also… clearly more. The things that he's dealt with… Deals with… They were enough to shake even me. And yet, he is still fighting. We need to look at our options realistically now. If we truly have failed four-hundred and sixty-three times… Then perhaps we have been going about this all wrong."

"I myself have been wondering the same thing" Albus replied. "My… mistakes… They are at the forefront of my mind recently. I brought the Stone here, and Ronald payed the price. I failed to find the Heir in time, and was outmaneuvered by Lucius Malfoy. Ronald and the Muggle-Born children were petrified, and could've died. They lived because of sheer luck… Perhaps we have indeed gone about things the wrong way." Good, he agrees with me then.

"Then what do we do about this?" Snape asked, and Albus kept rubbing his chin. "The Dark Lord's return is imminent, and if Weasley is to be believed, then he will eventually attack Hogwarts. Which means… that we're both dead by that time."

"I know" Albus nodded.

"My Godson's throat will be cut open by Bellatrix Lestrange, Weasley told me as much" Snape blurted out, and Albus looked at him sympathetically. "We are heading for disaster, Albus. All of this 'cloak and dagger' nonsense that we do… It fails us in the end. We could've already lost Potter if it weren't for Weasley… The Prophecy about the Dark Lord's fall would have been made moot. The boy has already helped us avert a calamity."

"You want to start working with him" Albus stated, and Snape nodded curtly. "Severus… He is just…"

"He has made powerful allies already" Snape interjected, and Albus sighed. "He clearly trains rigorously, judging by his ever intensifying build. And he knows a lot more than he's letting on."

"On that, we can agree" Albus nodded. "He kept a lot to himself, I could see it in his eyes. Ronald has proven that he is intelligent, but he does not trust us."

"Perhaps he doesn't trust us because he is intelligent" Snape argued. "We haven't given him any reason to. But despite his intelligence, he is clearly somewhat naïve. He told you and me of his… gifts, and he doesn't even know that I am a spy for the Order. He trusts me simply because I work here, and so he assumes that I have to be on his side."

"You don't think that he's told anyone else, do you?" Albus asked, his eyes hardening.

"No, he hasn't" Snape replied. "He told me so himself. Right before he invited himself into my Potions Club, and asked me to teach him about the last war and maybe even some Magic."

"That is good, I want you to build a rapport with him" Albus instructed, and Snape nodded in agreement. "As for him joining us… I don't see any way around that. His power to see the Future will remove so many variables from the equation, and since we can't look into his mind, we have to ask for his help."

"He wants to be a 'partner' in this" Snape informed.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from him" Albus smiled. "He has already done quite a lot to help us, and this way, we can keep him on our side. And we can make sure that his powers don't fall into the wrong hands."

---

Ronald Weasley's POV

Sunday 7th June, 1993 (Slytherin Common Room – Late Afternoon)

Things for the most part had returned to normal, or at least what Ron saw as normal. Malfoy avoided Ron and his friends as if they had the Dragon Pox, which was fine with Ron. Ron figured that the sixth year girls had come through for him, despite Daphne telling him otherwise. Classes had also resumed as normal, with the exception of the Professors always keeping an eye on Ron. They were subtle enough, but Ron could see that they were concerned about him. At first Ron didn't enjoy the extra attention, but he slowly just came to terms with it. They cared for him, and that felt good.

Ron's friends continued training, and they even stopped whining about it. Well, most of them stopped whining about it… Daphne and Pansy would exaggerate their soreness from any spells that they caught, while Tracey continued giving up whenever other people succeeding before her. Blaise only did what he thought he'd be successful at, and never pushed himself. Theo kept pestering for 'cooler' spells, but he still struggled to beat a single dummy. Millie was the only one who showed any real progress, and she had even managed to beat two dummies at once. The burly girl could take a hit, and still keep going despite her pain. As for Ron… He had a tendency to show off fighting three dummies off at once, and he had even beaten five at once with his Rune Ring on. That had earned him a few kisses from Daphne, in secret of course.

He still saw Pomfrey once a week, and they were currently working on ways to keep his anger in check. It was working for the most part, mostly because Ron didn't have the Entity haunting him constantly. That monster had been gone for month now, and Ron couldn't be happier. His days seemed brighter, he laughed a lot more, he didn't push his friends but rather encouraged them, he kept in contact with Charlie who told him that he had a surprise for the family, and he had even started eating breakfast with Ginny and Luna again. Percy had disappeared into his books, just like the three sixth year girls. The twins were aiming most of their pranks at the Hufflepuffs for some reason. And as for the Trio, Ron spent at least an hour or so with them a week. His friends had told him of Harry persecuting them after Ron's seizure, and about how Neville of all people had stood up for them. This, mixed with his prior apology, made Neville Ron's favorite new Gryffindor.

And as for Snape and Dumbledore… That hadn't been going so well. Snape was cold, as usual, and he kept his distance from Ron. They occasionally made eye contact, but Snape would just walk off or start ignoring Ron outright. Even Dumbledore was a little distant, but not as much as Snape. The old man would still smile kindly at Ron, keep an eye on him during class, and he had even handed Ron a jar of Lemon-Drops at the end of a class. Something that seemed to annoy a particular Gryffindor. Ron didn't really care about how Harry felt on the matter of who Dumbledore paid attention to, mostly because Ron wasn't looking to become Dumbledore's new Golden Boy. Ron needed a partner in the upcoming war, and Dumbledore fit that bill perfectly.

"Ron, are you listening?" Daphne pouted as she nudged him, and he shook his head clear.

"Sorry, what was that?" Ron looked to her, and she pouted even more miserably. She's so damn cute. They were currently sitting a little bit away from their other friends, and Daphne was busy making plans about the Holidays. Plans that all involved Ron, and Ron alone.

"I asked you if you wanted spend a week or so at Greengrass Manor" Daphne repeated. "Tori and mother would love to have you over, as would father."

"And you?" Ron smiled, and she shrugged casually. Ron's more patient, and happier, demeanor seemed to agree with Daphne.

"It wouldn't be so bad to have you around" Daphne smirked, and Ron grinned. "Don't grin like that" Daphne giggled. "I've told you how creepy you look when you do that."

"What? I'm just smiling" Ron kept grinning.

"You look like you have eighty teeth" Daphne snorted, and then she flushed red.

"Ha!" Ron laughed, and she got a shade redder. "Oink, oink my Lady."

"Shut up" Daphne smacked his arm, a massive smile on her face. "Just come over for a week or two, please?"

"I can floo over at any moment, Daph" Ron chuckled.

"But I want to show you the Gardens…" Daphne told him.

"Do the Gardens…"

"At night" she finished, and Ron stopped talking. Oh…

"I'll come over" Ron agreed immediately, and Daphne smiled in a mischievous manner.

"Good, I'll let father and mother know" Daphne said. "They've been hounding me to ask you for over a week now. And Tori… All she does is talk about you."

"We do get along" Ron admitted.

"You bought her a necklace for her birthday… from Martin's jewelry store" Daphne sighed.

"Jealous?" Ron cocked an eyebrow, a teasing smile on his face. She totally is.

"Nuh-uh" Daphne denied in a childish manner. "You see her the same way you see Luna, so why would I be jealous of that?"

"I see Luna as my sister, and if I see Tori as my sister, then what does that make you?" Ron asked, and Daphne stared at him like he was an idiot.

"If you call me your sister, Ron" Daphne started. "I will slap you, and have you admitted to St. Mungo's Psych Ward."

"That… is a fair enough response" Ron chuckled.

"By the way, Theo will be staying over at mine for a bit as well" Daphne told him, and Ron lost his humor.

"His father is leaving the country again?" Ron asked, and Daphne blinked.

"Um… yeah…" Daphne replied. For fuck's sake. "Ron, how did you know that?"

"Why else would he stay at your manor?" Ron asked back as he put on a smile. Damn Theo's father, he'll get us all killed.

"That's fair enough" Daphne replied as she bought his response. "Well, since Theo is staying over. I figured that I'd invite everyone, and we could have a slumber party of sorts."

"A slumber part?" Ron asked. "Aren't we a little too old for that?"

"What? Don't want to pillow fight me?" Daphne smirked.

"I would destroy you in a pillow fight" Ron told her bluntly, but when she rolled her eyes, he understood her meaning. "Oh… Now that you put it like that, I don't think I mind a slumber party."

"Nice save" she shook her head with a smile.

"Mr. Weasley" came an all too familiar voice from behind them, and both Ron and Daphne turned to see Snape towering over them. "Come with me." Snape turned around and billowed out of the common room, and Ron got up to leave.

"I'll see you when I get back" Ron smiled at Daphne, and she gave him a wink. That made his smile wider, and he ran after Snape. He caught up with the Potions Master outside, and they began making their way towards the Headmaster's Office. As they trudged up the moving staircase, Ron took in a deep breath. "Sir…"

"Not here" Snape cut him off, and Ron nodded as he closed his mouth. Are we finally going to have a conversation about the things to come? If so, then I'm ready for it. Once Snape and Ron got past the Stone Gargoyle, Snape ushered Ron inside the Headmaster's Office.

"Ah, Ronald" Dumbledore smiled from behind his clawed desk.

"Headmaster, how are you?" Ron smiled back.

"As well as can be expected" Dumbledore replied as he gestured to a free seat, which Ron sat on. "Now, how have you been? I'm asking about your stress, and about the Entity."

"My stress is under control" Ron replied. "As for the Entity… Don't make me answer that." I need to keep the Entity's disappearance a secret, otherwise the old codger might get ideas. I know that it's still there, and that it's pissed off. The last thing I need is Dumbledore taking a look into my mind, and then getting murdered for it.

"I see" Dumbledore responded, his features softening. Snape took a seat beside Ron, his expression controlled as usual. "Has it hurt…? No, I won't ask that either…"

"Thank you" Ron said softly, and Dumbledore smiled kindly. "Headmaster, can we please finally talk about what I've told you?"

"Yes, I believe that it's time" Dumbledore replied, and Ron sat up straighter. "Your ability has the power to change the tide of the upcoming war, and I think you understand that. And I know that you wish to join Severus and me in planning for the war. And after thinking it through, I think that can be arranged." Ron smiled at that. "But for that to happen, there are some important things that you need to know."

"But before we tell you these things" Snape interjected, and Ron looked to him. "We need to be certain that your mind cannot be compromised in any way."

"If you are referring to Legilimency, please don't try it" Ron warned them, and they nodded.

"We were thinking more about the Imperius Curse" Dumbledore said, and Ron's eyes widened a bit.

"The Unforgivable?" Ron asked, he hadn't thought of that. Oh fuck, what if they use it on me? Am I protected from that? Dumbledore took out his wand and aimed it at Ron.

"Forgive me, Ronald" Dumbledore said. "But we have to make sure of this. Imperio." Ron felt a sudden pang of pain in the back of his skull, and it suddenly shot up to his forehead. Fucking hell!

"Ow…" Ron winced, and then he looked at Dumbledore with a frown. "Really? An Unforgivable? Headmaster of Hogwarts, my arse…" Dumbledore just blinked at Ron, and then he looked down at his own wand with disbelief.

"Impossible…" Snape sighed as he shook his head. "This is… utterly mad."

"Well, I believe that we can tell Ronald whatever we want to" Dumbledore chuckled, though it sounded rather forced.

"Won't you get arrested for this?" Ron asked, and Dumbledore shook his head.

"My wand is… protected from any traces created by the Ministry" Dumbledore replied. How? Doesn't the Ministry cast a trace on every wand when it's made? They've been doing that for almost two hundred years in order to protect the Statute of Secrecy.

"Whatever" Ron said grouchily. "Can we please talk now? That really hurt…"

"Sorry" Dumbledore smiled apologetically. "And yes, we can talk." Good, it's about time that we sorted this out.

---

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Tada! It's done, and damn did it take a while... Lot of dialogue in this chapter, but that was sort of the point. Everyone did something, and I will let you all think about what's next. I need some much needed sleep...

Now for some bad news, this story is going on hiatus for a month. My exams are around the corner, and all of my attention needs to be on them. So I guess this is goodbye for the time being =( I will miss you all, but this isn't final.

Take care, see you all soon.