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.

69. Chapter 69 - A 'Splitting' Headache

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Chapter 69 (heh) is here early! This one is slightly shorter than my usual, only 16,000 words, but it's good =)

Please Enjoy!

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

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

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Fate

Chapter 69 – A 'Splitting' Headache

Ronald Weasley's POV

Wednesday 2nd September, 1993 (The Black Lake – Crack of Dawn)

"Eight laps?" Millie blinked at Ron, looking rather uncomfortable in her running gear.

"Trust me Millie, it'll be over before you know it" Ron assured her, but she didn't look very convinced.

"And by 'it', Ron means your life" Theo stated, not looking very pleased himself.

"Mate, let's just do five" Blaise suggested. "The Holidays just ended, and we're all out of practice." You're out of practice, you mean.

"You can do five, I'll do eight" Ron said, and Theo and Blaise looked visibly relieved.

"Then I'll do eight as well" Millie said firmly, and the boys blinked at her.

"You just said that you didn't want to do eight laps" Theo told her.

"I didn't say that I wouldn't do them" Millie countered, frowning slightly.

"Millie…" Blaise started, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm going to level with you here…"

"Just do as many as you like, that's how I started" Ron cut in, he could tell that Blaise was about to say something that was going to hurt Millie's feelings. "Push yourself as hard as you can today, and then remember how many laps you managed to pull off. That'll be your limit until you improve, understand?"

"I… Alright, you make a good point" Millie nodded slowly, she knew that she wouldn't be able to finish eight laps. Ron's suggestion gave her the opportunity to save face, and she was glad for it.

"Right then, everyone stretch and then do your laps" Ron said, stretching his back. "Oh, and try to keep up."

---

Wednesday 2nd September, 1993 (The Great Hall – Breakfast)

"Millie, are you sure that you're alright?" Pansy asked, all of the girls were eyeing Millie with worry.

"I'm fine…" Millie groaned. "I just… I just pulled a muscle, that's all."

"You should go to Pomfrey" Tracey suggested, but Millie stubbornly shook her head.

"You couldn't take it easy for once" Daphne frowned at Ron, who just blinked at her. What the fuck did I do? I ran my own laps, and she only did two. Also, is Daphne mad at me?

"Ron ran his own laps, so it's hardly his fault" Millie said quickly.

"So he didn't bother supervising you" Daphne huffed, and Ron blinked at her once again. She's pissed. What did I do? Is she mad about Theo and Blaise interrupting us last night? How's that my fault?

"What did you do?" Theo whispered to Ron.

"I don't fucking know" Ron whispered back, and then he looked to Millie. "Mills, go to Pomfrey please. You look like you're in pain."

"Fine…" Millie consented, making Pansy and Tracey gape at her.

"So Ron only has to say it once?" Tracey asked Millie, who just shrugged.

"Now we know who Millie favors in this group" Pansy feigned hurt.

"Shut up…" Millie rolled her eyes before going back to her breakfast.

"The fearless leader's word is law" Theo sniggered, immediately earning a smack from Ron.

"Stop it, or you'll talk her out of it" Ron frowned at a sniggering Theo.

"Is it just me, or does Malfoy look like the poster child for depression this morning?" Blaise asked, he wasn't even listening to his friends' conversation. Ron and the others looked to where Blaise was looking, and they all saw Draco Malfoy just staring at his half-finished plate. The Malfoy heir's hair was untidily covering the sides of his face, and the bags under his eyes made it perfectly clear that he hadn't slept last night. Shite, what happened to him?

"Look at Crabbe and Goyle" Pansy whispered, and Ron did so. The two burly boys were eating their breakfast with happy smiles, occasionally sniggering amongst themselves. What the fuck?

"Something isn't right in this picture" Daphne noted, and they all nodded.

"Eh… Who cares?" Tracey asked suddenly, and all of them looked to her. "What? It's Malfoy, and we agreed to keep our distance from him."

"She is right" Theo nodded, earning a smile from Tracey. "He might just be sick."

"If he were sick, everyone would know it" Blaise said. "He likes attention, remember? No, this is something else."

"You sound concerned for him" Tracey said, and Blaise cocked his eyebrow at her. "Feeling bad about your old friend?"

"Tracey, that's enough" Daphne said, killing the oncoming argument in its crib. "We all agreed to keep our distance from him, and Blaise understands that. And until Ron says otherwise, none of us will even approach him. Isn't that right, Blaise?" Until I say so? Damn, she makes me sound like a dictator.

"I made an observation, that's all" Blaise said, sounding completely uninterested. "Just because we aren't planning to approach him doesn't mean that we should sit around with our eyes closed."

"That's a good point" Millie said, looking to Tracey. "It's better to be prepared than to be caught unaware."

"What do you think, Ron?" Pansy asked, still eyeing Malfoy with a look that looked alarmingly like concern.

"I think that whatever's wrong with him, he deserves it" Ron replied, and Pansy looked to him immediately. "He's been making people miserable for as long as I've known him, and I know a look of defeat when I see it. Remember what Tori told all of us? He was hiding from someone at Theo's party, and judging by that look, he can't get away from them here. He's in trouble, and as far as I'm concerned, he deserves it." It's about time that he learned some humility.

"Good" Tracey smirked. "Remember what he did to Ron last year?" The beating that landed me in the Hospital Wing…

"A wounded animal can be turned if you nurse it back to health" Daphne stated, earning a look of horror from Tracey. "It's just a suggestion."

"It's a horrible suggestion, and we're not doing it" Tracey said firmly.

"You don't speak for this group, Ron does" Pansy quickly reminded her. Shite, are we about to have a fight?

"And Ron already spoke" Tracey shot back. "Malfoy deserves to be miserable, just like all the people that he's made miserable over the years."

"Why the hell are we starting an argument over this?" Theo asked the girls, they seriously needed to calm down. "Tracey, c'mon…"

"I'm just saying that he doesn't belong with us, and we shouldn't even think of helping him after all the stunts he's pulled over the last two years" Tracey said, and then she went back to her breakfast. I need to do something about Malfoy eventually, and it'll probably involve him becoming a part of this group. I've see the good that he can do, and I gave Snape my word. The bell suddenly rang, signaling the end of breakfast.

"Yay… Herbology…" Ron grumbled, earning a look of disbelief from Theo.

"Herbology is arguably the best subject taught at Hogwarts" Theo said, and Ron genuinely laughed. "I'm serious…"

"Herbology is gross" Pansy said. "I have to spend hours cleaning the smell of manure off of me after every lesson." Theo took in a sharp breath, and Ron immediately zoned out of the conversation. His eyes had fallen on Padma, who was currently talking to her friends animatedly. I should partner with her for the day. Justin has no doubt told all of the Hufflepuffs about my study group reconvening, and Padma can help promote that message in Ravenclaw.

---

Twenty Minutes Later

"You mind partnering with me today?" Ron asked Padma, and she quickly turned to face him. Ron gave her his best smile, and she returned the gesture. "It's good to see you again, Padma. How were your Holidays?"

"It's good to see you as well, Ron" Padma replied, her eyes assessing his height. "What do they feed you?"

"What don't they feed me is the better question" Ron replied, and Padma giggled.

"My holidays were wonderful" Padma answered his earlier question. "Parvati and I went to India in order to visit our Grandmother, and she told us some fascinating stories. What about you?"

"Mine were eventful" Ron replied.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're really hard to read?" Padma asked him, and Ron simply smirked. Trust me, you don't want to 'read' me. "Well, what does 'eventful' mean?"

"I got a lot done" Ron shrugged, making Padma click her tongue playfully.

"You're good, I'll give you that" Padma laughed. "And yes Ron, I'll partner with you for the day. But you'd better pull your weight this time."

"I didn't pull my weight the last time?" Ron asked, sounding more curious than amused.

"You spent too long flirting with me" Padma smiled slyly.

"I… won't deny that" Ron shrugged again, and her smile widened.

"Oi Padma, do you want to partner with me for the day?" Michael Corner asked as he walked up to them, and Padma shot him a sorry smile.

"Sorry, I'm partnering with Ron today" Padma replied, and Corner nodded slowly.

"Right… I'll ask someone else…" Corner said slowly, his eyes looking Ron up and down. Mind your gaze mate, or I'll shove my fist down your throat. Corner skulked off at that, and Ron shot Padma a sheepish smile.

"I don't want to cause you any trouble in your House" Ron said, and Padma blinked at him.

"Trouble in my House?" Padma asked.

"You know… For pairing up with a person from a different House" Ron replied. I know for a fact that some people in Slytherin would get their knickers in a knot over such a thing.

"Ron, Ravenclaw isn't like that" Padma chuckled, playfully smacking his right arm. "Ow… What are you wearing underneath your robes?"

"Nothing…" Ron replied slowly. "And I'm glad to hear that your House isn't like that."

"Gather around everyone!" came Professor Sprout's voice, and Ron and Padma joined the class around the massive table. "Today, we'll be doing some quick revision on Mandrakes…" Fuck! Screeching dirt babies! "Now be gentle with these, as they were given to us by a kind benefactor." Daphne smirked to herself at that, and Ron didn't miss it.

---

Thirty Minutes Later

"It won't budge" Padma snapped, letting go of the Mandrake's 'head of hair'. "I hate these things…" What did she say? I can't hear anything with these earmuffs on. She looks like she's having trouble though.

"Allow me" Ron stepped up, slightly nudging her out of the way. Ron then grabbed the Mandrake's leafy top, and he yanked it out in one go. It immediately started screeching at him, its fat face and body making Ron grimace. Despite the earmuffs, I can still hear it a bit. Padma quickly replaced the old pot with a new one, and Ron planted the fat dirt baby into it. Ron and Padma then began covering it with dirt, making sure to bury it completely. There… It's done.

Ron rubbed the sweat off of his brow with his robes' sleeve, slightly irked by the fact that he couldn't take it off like everyone else. My shirt is no doubt damp from sweat, which might make my scars visible. This is another thing that I hate about this class… It's so bloody humid in here that I'm fucking melting in my clothes. Padma suddenly nudged Ron, signaling him that it was safe to take the earmuffs off. Ron shot a quick look around the room, and once he saw that the others were taking them off, he did the same.

"That's better" Padma said, massaging the top of her ears. She then looked Ron over, and it was clear that he was extremely hot under his robes. "Ron, why don't you just take off your robes?"

"Ohhh, coming on a little too strong there" Ron joked, hoping to change the topic immediately.

"Oops, that wasn't my intention" Padma giggled, and Ron became slightly unsure of her intentions. Is she pulling a Pansy on me? Is that it? "No but seriously, you look like you're about to have heatstroke."

"I'm fine" Ron lied with a smile, and Padma nodded slowly.

"You're an odd one, Ron" Padma told him, but he simply shrugged. She knew that he was trying to hide something, and the fact that she didn't know what it was bothered her slightly. He was a puzzle, and she wanted to try and figure him out. Which reminded her of her original inquiry. "Ron, why did you partner with me today?"

"I wanted to let you know that my study group is back on" Ron replied, deciding to not insult her intelligence. "Fridays, after classes end."

"I already know that" Padma smiled at him. "Justin went around telling everyone."

"Really?" Ron asked, and she nodded. "Well, I didn't see that coming."

"Yeah, he was really excited about it" Padma couldn't help but chuckle, the memory of Justin making the announcement to a bunch of confused Ravenclaws was too amusing. "He told the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, but I don't think that he went to Gryffindors."

"That makes sense" Ron nodded to himself, thinking about Justin's actions. "He doesn't want to announce to the Lions that a Snake is hosting a study group for everyone. They'd probably just glare at him."

"See, this is why Ravenclaw is the best House" Padma smirked. "We care about our studies over something as trivial as House rivalry."

"Tell that to your Quidditch Team" Ron sniggered.

"That… is a good point" Padma giggled.

"Well, I'm glad that you already know about the study group" Ron said. "You should invite some of the first years from your House as well. They'd probably leap at the chance to make new friends." And I'll order my first years to attend as well.

"Your study group is growing ever bigger, isn't it?" Padma smirked, and Ron gave her an innocent look. "Some people are beginning to wonder if you have ulterior motives, Ron."

"I just want peace amongst the Houses" Ron told her, and she cocked an eyebrow at him. And it doesn't hurt to have friends in different Houses, especially considering that Hogwarts will get attacked someday.

"Like I said, you're too hard to read" Padma sighed. "I'll invite the first years, and some of the second years as well. Luna has made some fast friends with her year-mates due to her father's article on the events leading up to the Inferno."

"Is that so?" Ron smiled widely, feeling rather happy with that bit of news. "That's good, she deserves to have more friends."

"I agree, your sister is the most adorable thing that I've ever laid eyes on" Padma told him.

"Do I at least crack the top five?" Ron asked her, and she just blinked at him. And then, she broke into a fit of giggles.

"You're mental, you know that right?" Padma wheezed.

---

Wednesday 2nd September, 1993 (The Great Hall – Lunch)

"And she'll bring some of her first years?" Daphne asked, and Ron nodded.

"And where is everyone supposed to sit?" Theo asked Ron. "The Library doesn't have any tables that can support so many people."

"It's not that many" Ron said, but his friends just gave him deadpan looks. "Fine… I know that the study group getting a little too large, but that's the point. I want to have as many people in it as possible in order to show the older students that House Unity is accomplishable."

"Why do you even care about 'House Unity'?" Theo asked with a slight frown. "We don't get anything out of it except for some praise from the Professors."

"Ron is 'preparing us all for a war'… Remember?" Blaise said, shooting Ron a bored look.

"Not this again…" Daphne sighed, immediately put off from the conversation. Wow. Really?

"A united front is important" Ron told them, but they clearly weren't interested in his mad babbling. Even Millie was trying to concentrate on her food, none of them believed in Ron's warnings about an upcoming war that only he could guess at. They had only humored him because doing so was improving his health, and his mood.

"It's going to happen… And we all need to start getting ready for it" Ron said, not liking their disinterest. "Which reminds me… We need to restart our training within Sanctuary."

"Ron, it's the second day back…" Pansy said, shooting Ron a pitiful look.

"Can't we just settle in first?" Tracey asked, also shooting him a pitiful look. Settle in? What the hell does that mean?

"Fine…" Ron consented, and the girls looked visibly relieved. "We'll start next week." And there goes their relief. "C'mon, this training will help you in the Dueling Club. Don't you want to win?"

"I'm not joining the Dueling Club, Ron" Daphne told him outright, and he gave her a bewildered look. "Fighting other people for House Points like some betting animal is beneath me."

"Beneath you?" Ron blinked.

"It's not Ladylike" Pansy jumped in. "And I'm with her…" What?!

"This Dueling Club is the perfect opportunity for us to establish ourselves" Ron told them. "And self-defense is something that everyone should want to learn."

"Despite his over eagerness to torture us" Blaise started, his eyes fixed on Daphne and Pansy. "He is right… If Slytherin earns a lot of House Points due to our success in the Dueling Club, we'll be remembered for it."

"Not to mention that Gryffindor is probably going to win the Quidditch Cup because of Potter" Theo added on.

"And it'll be fun" Millie said, trying to urge her friends to join.

"We'll get to hex Gryffindors without facing any consequences" Tracey smirked, giving Daphne a weak nudge.

"C'mon…" Ron urged, his eyes fixed on Daphne's. "I'll teach you cool Spells…" How can someone not be interested in becoming more powerful? Wait… She probably doesn't feel the need to empower herself due to her Family's wealth and influence. That's just… idiotic.

"Fine…" Pansy sighed, deciding to join only because her friends wanted her to.

"Daphne?" Ron asked.

"I'll think about it" Daphne replied, going back to her food. I'll take that… for now.

"Alright, I'll be right back" Ron said as he stood up, and his friends gave him curious looks.

"Where are you going?" Tracey asked him.

"I need to speak with the Gryffindors about my study group" Ron replied. "Justin didn't speak to them about it, so I'll have to do it myself."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Millie asked.

"Strength in numbers" Tracey said as she put down her cutlery.

"No, there's no need for that" Ron told them. "I don't want the Gryffindors to think that I need people watching my back when I speak to them, it might irk them."

"Ron, stop being so naïve and take them with you" Blaise said, but Ron waved a dismissive hand.

"Don't worry about it" Ron told the two girls. "I'll be fine. And what are they going to do? We're in the Great Hall for Merlin's sake." With that, Ron began making his way over to the Gryffindor tables. The last thing I need to do is to show up at their table unannounced and with 'bodyguards'. Anyway, I should talk to Hermione, Harry, and Neville. And then casually invite the others. If the Golden Trio agree to rejoin me, the others will be further encouraged to do the same.

"Wait up" Daphne said as she caught up to him, and he gave her a slightly annoyed look.

"Daphne… I said that I could do this alone" Ron sighed.

"I know, but that doesn't mean that you should" Daphne countered.

"What? You're not mad at me anymore?" Ron asked, sounding a little too annoyed. Daphne simply gave him a blank stare, not showing any form of emotion. She'll play dumb, I just know it.

"What makes you think that I'm 'mad at you'?" Daphne asked him. And there it is.

"Your attitude this morning is a pretty clear sign that you are" Ron replied, and she simply looked ahead in order to avert her gaze. "I know for a fact that I've done nothing to upset you, so the least you could do is to tell me why you were so snappy with me this morning."

"Alright…" Daphne said, her tone unreadable. 'Alright'… That's it?

"Are you going to tell me why you were upset?" Ron asked.

"Later…" Daphne replied, this was not the place to discuss her feelings.

"Fine, later then" Ron said, somehow managing to keep his voice civil. "Try to not antagonize the Trio, this is important to me."

"I'm not a moron, Ron" Daphne shot him a slight frown. "I know how to be diplomatic, and I'd even say that I'm better than you at it." That's fair… "You should speak with Longbottom about your group. He's your 'eternal friend', which means that he'll be forced to accept. The other two will join him out of a need to keep their eye on their friend."

"The Trio are my friends, Daphne" Ron told her. "I don't need to manipulate them like that. Not this time anyway…" Ron and Daphne were spotted by the Gryffindors at that, and most of them just eyed the duo carefully. "Hello, you three" Ron greeted the Golden Trio with a smile, one that they returned.

"Hi, Ron" Hermione greeted back, and then she looked to Daphne. "Greengrass."

"Granger" Daphne said, giving her a polite nod.

"Can we help you two with something?" Harry asked them, shooting a quick look towards the watchful Gryffindors.

"I wanted to let you know that the study group is still on at Fridays" Ron replied, and Hermione immediately beamed.

"Really? That's great!" Hermione said, her excitement making the other Gryffindors listen in. "I was going to talk to you about that tonight, but I guess now I don't have to. Are we still meeting after classes?"

"Yes" Ron replied, shooting a quick look towards Neville.

"We'll be there" Neville agreed, giving Ron a pleasant smile.

"Ron, is this about your study group?" Lavender asked from across the table, and Ron shot her a smile. Perfect timing, Lavender.

"It is" Ron said, making sure that everyone around them heard him. "Fridays, after classes. Everyone is welcome to join it." Most of the Gryffindors just gave him guarded looks, but Ron could see that some of first and second years were listening. Especially the female population, which feels rather nice.

"No one wants to join your group, Weasley" came the voice of Cormac McLaggen, and Ron looked to see the boy frowning deeply at him. Didn't I knock this guy on his arse? Wait, I totally did. "Sod off."

"We'll be there" Parvati and Lavender said together, and Ron fought the urge to grin.

"I'll join too" Fay Dunbar said. "It sounds like fun."

"It's not 'fun', we're all there to study" Hermione corrected her quickly, and Ron genuinely resisted the urge to smack Hermione on the back of her head. She's putting people off.

"Yeah, we're all there to 'study'…" Ron gave Fay a wink, something that made her lips curl up. Hermione shot Ron a frown, but Ron just ignored her. "There will be first and seconds years there from the other Houses as well, so you lot should consider coming too" Ron said to the first and second year Gryffindors. "Ginny can tell you that it's actually really helpful." The first and second years looked to Ginny, who just blinked at Ron for putting her on the spot. Tell them that you like it, or I swear to Merlin…

"It's really helped me with my grades" Ginny admitted, doing her best to sound certain. The first and second years nodded slowly before looking back to a smiling Ron.

"It's completely up to you guys though" Ron told them, and then he looked to the Trio. "I'll see you guys around."

"Bye, mate" Harry shot him a smile, while Neville gave him a parting nod.

"I'll see you in Study of Runes after lunch" Hermione said, and Ron nodded firmly.

"Take care" Ron said as he and Daphne began to leave. That went rather well.

"That McLaggen boy doesn't like you much, and neither do his mates" Daphne whispered to him. "You should never have hit him, Ron."

"What's done is done" Ron shrugged, ignoring the 'evil eyes' that he was getting. "And if they try anything, I'll have Marty poison their meals."

"That's not funny" Daphne said, unsure about whether or not he was being serious. It wasn't a joke. I'll give them permanent Diarrhea if they get in my way.

"Ron!" Percy called from behind them, and they both turned to see Percy walking up to them.

"Perce, how are you?" Ron smiled at him, his eyes falling on Percy's clean Head Boy badge. "That badge suits you."

"Thanks" Percy smiled, 'fixing' his badge again. "What was that just now?"

"Oh, I was inviting people to join my study group" Ron replied, and Percy nodded slowly. "You're more than welcome to join as well."

"Thanks for the offer, but us seventh years have our own group" Percy chuckled. "I couldn't help but notice that some people were… sneering at you. They didn't give you any trouble, did they?" Oh, he's just worried about me.

"It's alright, Percy" Ron assured him. "It was nothing too serious, I promise."

"Alright…" Percy said, shooting a quick look towards Daphne. "Nice to see you again, Greengrass."

"Likewise" Daphne said, giving him a polite nod. "And Ron's telling the truth, it was nothing more than a few looks."

"That's good" Percy nodded, and then he looked back to Ron. "Have you seen the twins?"

"The twins?" Ron asked, shooting a look towards the Gryffindor table. They're not there. How did I not notice that? "I guess I haven't…"

"I haven't seen them since breakfast" Percy sighed. "It's annoying that most of my Head Boy duties revolve around controlling my own brothers…"

"It can't be that bad" Daphne said, trying to sound sympathetic.

"They set off a dung bomb in the Prefect's Bathroom yesterday, and they did it solely to anger me" Percy told her, and she nodded in understanding.

"My sister got herself a detention from McGonagall after she tried to perform Human Transfiguration on a classmate yesterday" Daphne told him, and Percy visibly cringed.

"Is this the start of a beautiful friendship?" Ron smirked, looking between Percy and Daphne.

"Are you jealous?" Daphne smirked at him.

"He sounds jealous" Percy chuckled. "I'll let you two get back to lunch. Keep an eye on him, please."

"I will" Daphne promised, and Percy left after giving her a smile. "I think that out of all of your brothers, he's my favorite."

"That quickly?" Ron asked her.

"He knows the pain of having troublesome siblings, and I can relate to that" Daphne shrugged, her eyes quickly darting towards the staff table. "Snape is watching you."

"I think he likes me" Ron batted his eyes, and Daphne's lips twitched upwards.

"I think he doesn't appreciate you socializing with the Lions so openly" Daphne said, settling for a smirk instead of a smile.

"He can get in line when it comes to that" Ron shrugged, and then they began making their way back towards the Slytherin table. I'll no doubt hear about it during his Potions Club tonight. "You have a double free period next, right?"

"I do" Daphne replied.

"I've Potions Club right after my Study of Ancient Runes class, so I need you to do me a favor" Ron said.

"Alright, what's this favor?" Daphne asked.

"I need you to collect your sister from the other first years, I need to speak to her alone" Ron replied, and Daphne nodded slowly. "Make sure that you don't mention me, I don't want the other first years to become suspicious of her."

"Suspicious of her?" Daphne asked, and then she realized what Ron's plan was. "Ron, my sister isn't suited for 'spy work'… She's far too impulsive, and she has a tendency to show off."

"I need to allocate her a task in order to sate her need for attention" Ron said. "She clearly wants to be the leader of the first years, but I don't think she understands that people don't respect your wealth and power if you haven't done anything to deserve them. So I'll give her a task that makes her feel important, and that'll keep her in check."

"Your reasoning is sound, but I think that you're underestimating my sister's ego" Daphne said.

"Maybe…" Ron said, thinking about another way to keep Tori in check. "You should be there when I talk to her…"

"Why?" Daphne asked.

"She listens to you, and if you 'twist her arm a little', she'll think twice before messing up my job for her" Ron replied.

"You want me to bully my sister into submission?" Daphne asked, and Ron swallowed thickly. It sounded better in my head. "I'm in."

"Really?" Ron asked, and she simply smirked at him.

"I've been waiting for a chance to show her that she can't always get her way" Daphne replied, and Ron nodded slowly. "What time does your Potions Club finish?"

"Around seven" Ron replied.

"Come straight to my dorm from there, I'll have Tori with me" Daphne told him.

"Thanks, Daph" Ron gave her a smile. "And after I've dealt with your sister, we're going to talk about why you were so snappy with me. Alright?"

"Fine…" Daphne said, losing all of her enthusiasm.

---

Wednesday 2nd September, 1993 (Study of Ancient Runes Classroom – After Lunch)

Ron was genuinely excited to be in this classroom, it just had a different vibe to it. There were Runes etched all over the walls, the smell of incense was heavy in the air, and Ron found himself captivated by the glowing pink Rune that spanned the ceiling. And there weren't too many students in the class either, which was a nice change. The entire class consisted of Ron, Blaise, Malfoy, Padma, Fay Dunbar, Susan Bones, Morag MacDougal, and Hermione. Where is Hermione anyway? Is she running late? Well, she'd better get here before Professor Babbling does.

"I like the fact that this class has less people in it" Blaise said suddenly, he was sharing Ron's small table. Each table only had enough space for two people, which was perfect because there were only eight students in total.

"Me too" Ron noted. "And we're the only boys here. Not counting Malfoy, of course."

"Are you trying to pick up girls in Runes?" Blaise smirked.

"No, just an observation" Ron smirked back. The girl that I want to 'pick up' isn't even here.

"Well, the 'talent' in here is… limited" Blaise sighed, looking towards the girls. "Bones is cute, but she looks far too… innocent. Dunbar seems rather snobby, so I'll pass on her as well."

"Just saying that makes you snobby too" Ron sniggered.

"I won't argue that" Blaise smirked.

"What about Padma?" Ron asked.

"Now there's a girl that I'd go for" Blaise said, eyeing Padma Patil with a soft smile. "Intelligent, beautiful, and not at all vain. She's the ideal girl. It's a shame that she's sitting with that dishrag MacDougal… Otherwise, I might've actually approached her." MacDougal's not that bad. Ron shot a quick look towards MacDougal. Good lord, my eyes… Someone buy that girl some acne cream. And maybe some hair product.

"And Hermione?" Ron asked, curious about his thoughts on Hermione.

"She's… annoying" Blaise said, being careful with his words. "She's intelligent, but that trait is tarnished by her need to constantly show off. She's slightly below average when it comes to looks, which she can easily fix by putting some time into her appearance, but she refuses to do that out of some misdirected sense of pride. Oh, and she seems to relish in taking the 'moral high ground' in every conversation. All of this suggests that her ego is far too big, and it would destroy any chance that she has with anyone. If she decides that she wants a steady relationship, she'll need to date a doormat."

"So… You don't like her?" Ron asked, and Blaise gave Ron a deadpan look. "You've clearly given this a lot of thought, which is rather odd…"

"I observe my surroundings" Blaise shrugged. "And any time that I've been near her, I've seen her ego at display."

"This 'ego' that you're referring to, I'd say that she's earned it" Ron debated, and Blaise waited for him to go on. "Her intelligence is something that she constantly sharpens with knowledge, and everyone wants to be praised for their hard work. You and I included, of course. As for her appearance, she clearly wants to put her time into things that she finds valuable. As for the 'moral high ground', she's a part of a group of people who are seen as 'lesser' by people who don't even know them. So she feels passionate about giving everyone a fair chance…"

"Funny how that ideology of hers doesn't seem to apply to anyone that she dislikes" Blaise cut in. "Her moral compass is clearly skewed in favor of 'the downtrodden', which is just another word for anyone who isn't a Pure-Blood. Oh, or anyone who isn't in Slytherin. You and I both know that she dislikes us greatly, and yet, has she ever really spoken to us? No… She dislikes us simply because we value something that she chooses to not understand. I mean seriously, she hated your insides during the start of our first year simply because you were doing better than her academically. And the only reason she likes you now is because you're an anomaly. 'The Slytherin who despises Blood-Supremacy'. She doesn't really know you, not like we do. She simply idolizes what you look like to the outside World, and that's what I don't like about her. She's shallow… But she pretends to be better." Bloody hell…

"At least with girls like Pansy, Daphne, Tracey, and even Millie… They are who they are, and they don't pretend to be otherwise" Blaise went on. "I simply don't like people who hide behind masks of 'kindness' or 'purity' in order to preach what's morally right, all the while hiding their real ugly faces from the people around them. I dislike dishonest people, and Granger… She's so dishonest that she herself is blind to her actions. If you ever call her out on her ego, I guarantee you that she'll turn on you. Or… She'll simply blame us for tarnishing her idealistic image of you."

"I… never really thought about her like that" Ron said slowly, going over Blaise's words in his mind. Hermione can be a little… complex… "She tried to drug and kidnap Daphne last year…"

"Exactly" Blaise said, glad that Ron hadn't broken his nose yet. "If one of us had tried to do such a thing to a Gryffindor, she'd knock down our front door. But since she was the one breaking the rules, and committing a crime worthy of Azkaban, it was 'morally just'… Don't forget that she was a part of the group that was labeling you as the Heir of Slytherin, and she was doing it simply because you showed her a side of you that she didn't know existed. It didn't matter to her that her betrayal had hurt you, or driven you mad with rage. The only thing that mattered was that you were a Slytherin who hurt her friend."

"I… You make a good argument…" Ron conceded, still thinking about his words.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, mate" Blaise patted his back. "You have a blind spot when it comes to people that you care about. I think it's one of the reasons why you put up with all of us so well. You ignore the bad, all the while putting the good on a pedestal."

"So I'm just a good bloke?" Ron asked with a smirk.

"No, you might the only person in Hogwarts who has a bigger ego than Granger" Blaise replied, his tone dead-serious.

"My ego isn't that big… Oh no, it is…" Ron grinned.

"And you make jokes to shrink away from anything that discomforts you" Blaise added.

"Are you sure that you're not Pomfrey?" Ron asked Blaise, who simply rolled his eyes. "You certainly sound like Pomfrey."

"You wanted my opinion, and I gave it to you nonsense free" Blaise replied. I guess that's fair. Is my ego really that big? I mean, I deserve to have a little bit of an ego. I've done things that most people could only dream of, and it only cost me countless hours of hard work and pain.

"Sorry I'm late everyone, the Moving Staircase was jinxed by a couple of hooligans during lunch" Professor Babbling said as she burst into the classroom, followed swiftly by Hermione. A couple of hooligans? Oh shite… Percy's going to be pissed.

Hermione looked towards Ron, and a slight frown came onto her face when she saw that Blaise was already sitting with him. She then looked to the only person who was sitting alone, Malfoy… Hermione quickly took a seat on an unoccupied table, electing to sit alone rather than sharing a desk with a bigoted arse.

"Now, let's get right into it" Professor Babbling said. "I am Professor Bathsheda Babbling, and I will be your teacher for this particularly interesting class." Ron observed the raven-haired witch, who looked rather young for someone who was supposedly in her early forties. She was wearing a thick black robe with golden Runes stitched onto it, and she had a pleasant face to match her pearly white teeth. Oddly enough, her eyes seemed to glow violet due to the lighting. Either that, or I'm going insane.

"Now… Let me look at all of you" Professor Babbling said, her eyes surveying her newest students. As her 'violet' eyes passed over Ron, they lingered for a second. So she was finally going to be teaching the Prodigy? "Very nice, you all look like a capable bunch. So… Who can tell me what Ancient Runes are?" Hermione's hand immediately shot up, as did Ron and Padma's. "Miss. Patil?"

"Runes are symbols representing various sound values, each of them belonging to a Runic Alphabet" Padma replied, and Professor Babbling nodded with a smile. "They are used to write various Germanic languages in North-Western Europe, including Old English."

"That's not entirely correctly" Hermione spoke up, and Professor Babbling looked to her. "Runes aren't just used to write various Germanic languages, they are used by various other cultures as well. The Egyptians are suspected to be the first Magical Community to make use of Runes in order to communicate with fellow wizards and witches, and there are copies of texts that date as far back as six hundred B.C."

"You are both correct" Professor Babbling said, giving the girls a smile. Ron raised his hand again, and Professor Babbling looked to him. "Yes, Mr. Weasley?"

"Runes aren't just used for writing languages, they are also used in the art of creating various types of wards" Ron answered, remembering the Rune in Pandora's lab. "Certain wards require a Runic symbol which needs to be powered by a witch or wizard's Magical Core in order for it to work."

"Excellent" Professor Babbling smiled widely. "Five points to all three of you. Runes themselves represent Magic, and when it comes to learning how Magic truly works, we must delve into how Runes work. The Ancient Egyptians used Runes as their conduits for Magic when wands were non-existent, and some of the Rune wards that they created are still hard to outclass nowadays. Take a look above you, and tell me what you see." The whole class looked up, their eyes studying the glowing pink ward above them. "What type of ward is that?" We're in a classroom, so it can't be anything dangerous. I'd say that it's a Ward of Protection. Ron raised his hand again, and Professor Babbling looked to him.

"Is it a Ward of Protection?" Ron asked, and she smiled at him.

"Well done, Mr. Weasley" Professor Babbling praised, and Ron mentally patted his own back. "And what else can you tell me about this ward?" Um… It's pretty? Wait… Her eyes aren't 'violet', they're slightly pink… She's powering this ward, isn't she? Samantha's notes highlighted that the eyes can show you when a person is actively powering a Runic Ward.

"You're powering this ward judging by your eye color" Ron said, trying to make his guess sound like a genuine theory.

"Ten points to Slytherin" Professor Babbling smiled widely, and Blaise bumped his knee against Ron's. "Yes, I am powering this Ward of Protection right now. And because my Magical Core is linked to this ward, my eyes are slightly off-color. The Ancient Egyptians believed that the eyes were an extremely instrumental part of the human body, and that the nature of one's Magical Core could be reflected by them. Now observe this carefully" she said as she brandished her wand, and then she flicked it at the ward. The ward powered down, becoming nothing more than a symbol drawn with white chalk. As the ward died down, Professor Babbling's eyes returned to a simple brown color.

"Wicked…" Ron muttered to himself, while everyone else had similar reactions of awe.

"In this class, we will be discovering the power behind Runes" Professor Babbling told them. "And once we have covered the main theories of Runic Magic and learnt how to translate simple Runic Scriptures, we will try our own hand at creating various types of wards. Exciting, isn't it?" The class nodded at that, something that greatly pleased her. "Open up your 'Ancient Runes Made Easy' textbook, and let's have a look at the first page."

---

Wednesday 2nd September, 1993 (Study of Ancient Runes Classroom – End of Classes)

Ron planned to thank Samantha the moment that he saw her, she had truly done him a great service by handing over her notes to him. Professor Babbling was left genuinely impressed with how quickly Ron could decipher simple Rune symbols, but little did she know that Ron already knew what they were and was simply pretending to figure them out. Ron's efforts were paid off spectacularly, and he had earned himself thirty House Points in one class.

"That's the end of your first class with me" Professor Babbling said as soon as the bell rang, and everyone began packing their things. "For this week's homework, I want you all to try your hand at translating the second page of your 'Ancient Runes Made Easy' textbook. Don't be discouraged if you find it too difficult, this type of Magic takes times to learn. Goodbye."

"Bye, Professor Babbling" the class said back, all of them making their way outside.

"You killed it, Ron" Blaise smirked, and Ron smiled widely. "Even Malfoy was left speechless, and that's saying something." You were watching him again?

"Thanks, Blaise" Ron said, deciding to talk to Blaise about Malfoy at a later date.

"Well done, Ron" Padma smiled as she passed him, and he smiled back.

"Thanks, Padma" Ron said, noticing that Susan, Morag, and Fay were smiling at him as well. I've seen smiles like those before, they want something from me. As they all stepped outside, Blaise and Ron were passed by Malfoy who seemed to be in a hurry. What's his rush?

"Good job in class today, Ron" came Hermione's voice, and Ron turned to see her smiling weakly at him. "You have a talent for translating Rune symbols."

"Thanks" Ron said.

"I… I was about to go to the library to get started on this homework…" Hermione started. "Do you want to join me?"

"I can't" Ron replied, and Hermione looked slightly crestfallen. "I've got Potions Club with Snape, and it starts right after end of classes. I shouldn't be late on my first day."

"You're in his Potions Club?" Hermione asked, her shock evident on her face. "But only fifth years and above are allowed in… He never makes an exception, everyone knows that…"

"Ron is his best student" Blaise quickly jumped in, giving Hermione a smirk. Mate, what the fuck? That was so unnecessary. "In our year anyway."

"I… I see…" Hermione muttered, clutching her books more tightly to her chest. "I'll… I'll see you around then…" With that, Hermione simply left. Ron couldn't help but feel like shite as he watched her leave, especially when he saw that her head was bowed down. She's genuinely upset… Great…

"Why did you do that?" Ron hissed at Blaise, who simply shrugged. "You hurt her feelings for no fucking reason, Blaise."

"I only stated a fact" Blaise countered. "But it proves my point about her, doesn't it?"

"What point?" Ron seethed, moments away from strangling Blaise.

"Her ego is more important to her than your friendship" Blaise replied, and Ron blinked at him. "When you told us that Snape had handpicked you, all of us were jealous. Extremely jealous… But we swallowed our pride and congratulated you because we know that you deserve it. We've seen you work yourself into seizures in order to be the best. But Granger… She didn't congratulate you, she didn't even acknowledge that you deserve to be picked by Snape. She simply walked off, because at the end of the day, she believes that she deserves it more than you do. So before you knock me around the Hallway, give that some thought."

"You were needlessly cruel, and you know it" Ron said, thinking about Blaise's words. She did seem genuinely shocked that Snape had picked me… But was her shock due to me being picked, or her not being picked? Fuck, I can't even tell her why he picked me.

"Maybe I was, or maybe I wasn't" Blaise shrugged once again. "I won't pretend like I care about her feelings, I just wanted you to see her reaction. We're in third year now, Ron. And it's about time that you let go of your naivety. It's about time that you start seeing everyone around you for who they really are, otherwise, you'll always be the smartest idiot in the room." Smartest idiot? Me? Blaise began to leave, but Ron grabbed him by the throat and slammed his back into a wall. Blaise was genuinely shocked, and his fear was immediately etched onto his face. "Ron… Stop… Calm down…" Blaise wheezed, his eyes going wide.

"I have spent two years building a relationship with the Trio… And I will not have you damage it because you felt like 'making a point'…" Ron hissed, tightening his hold on Blaise's throat. "Don't ever do something like this again, Blaise… There won't be a second warning…" Ron let go of Blaise at that, and Blaise bent over and coughed loudly. Fucking maggot…

"Alright…" Blaise coughed again before standing upright, a guarded look on his face. "I should've given your 'plans' some thought before doing that, but still… I'd rather you be pissed than to be foolish…"

"Go…" Ron said, taking in deep breaths in order to stay calm. "We'll talk about this later…"

"Good luck in your new club…" Blaise said, lightly massaging his neck. And then, Blaise left for the common room, leaving Ron standing in the Hallway as he worked to calm himself down. Have I always missed Hermione's ego, or did I just turn a blind eye to it? And what the hell is Blaise's problem with her? Fucking hell, I need to go see Pomfrey tonight… I just need to think… A dull headache began emanating from the back of Ron's skull, and he struck his head harshly. His vision blurred for a moment, and he felt like there was fire simmering deep inside of his stomach. If I lose the Trio because of this, I'll break Blaise's hands. I need Harry's help if I'm to defeat the Dark Lord, and if Hermione stops being my friend, Harry will side with her.

---

Ten Minutes Later

"Ron? What are you doing here?" Percy asked, he was standing in front of Snape's Potions lab with a bunch of other students. Carey, Samantha, a couple of Slytherin sixth years that I don't know, Diggory, McDean, four Ravenclaws that I don't know, Angelina Johnson, and Alicia Spinnet.

"I've come to join the Potions Club" Ron replied with smile, ignoring his ever increasing headache.

"You're only a third year" Johnson pointed out, eyeing Ron with a cocked eyebrow.

"Professor Snape invited me" Ron told her, taking everyone by surprise. Carey and Samantha smiled slyly at him, while Percy just stared in disbelief.

"He personally invited you?" Cedric asked, and then he broke into a friendly smile. "Congratulations, mate. I'm excited to see you in action myself."

"We've heard some crazy things about you" Max McDean said, mimicking Cedric's smile. Ron was about to reply, but the door swung open and Snape stepped outside.

"You're all here on time" Snape said, his eyes lingering on each of them. "Let's get started, we don't have time to waste." With that, Snape walked back into the lab. Ron and his fellow students followed Snape inside, each of them taking up a workstation. Snape billowed to the front of the class before turning to face his new club members, eyeing them all with a cold stare.

"I don't feel the need for introductions, most of you already know each other from around Hogwarts" Snape drawled. "And we certainly don't have the time for it, so let's get started. A client of mine wishes for a Potion to treat blood-loss, which Potion is most suitable for this request?"

"The Blood-Replenishing Potion" Cedric replied, and Snape nodded curtly.

"Take Mr. McDean with you, Mr. Diggory" Snape said. "You have until the end of the lesson to brew me a cauldron full of said Potion." Cedric and Max nodded, and they immediately set out to work. "Wild dogs have been sighted by the Gamekeeper on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest, and he wishes to take care of the mutts without hurting any of the other animals. Which Potion is most suitable for this request?"

"The Dogbane Potion" Percy replied immediately, and Snape once again nodded in a curt manner. Shite, they answer so quickly.

"Get started on making it" Snape said, and Percy quickly flew into action. Bloody hell, this is some fast-paced shite. "A client of mine wishes to fake his own death, which Potion would suit his needs?"

"Draught of Living Death" Ron blurted out, eager to not get left behind.

"Correct… Ms. Ductu and Ms. Selwyn, get started on making it" Snape ordered, his eyes fixed on Ron. Wait, what? I answered it, so shouldn't I get to help them? "As for the rest of you, Madam Pomfrey has handed me a list of Potions that she's already running short on" Snape said, taking out the list and putting it on his table. "There are several items that need to be prepared, choose which you will be brewing amongst yourselves. Mr. Weasley… You will be working with me." Everyone shot quick looks at Ron, while he simply nodded at Snape. Is this my special tutoring? Ron walked over to Snape's desk with the rest of the club members, but unlike them, he made his way over to Snape.

"You and I will be brewing a Dragon Tonic" Snape said, gesturing Ron to follow him. Ron did as he was told, and he followed Snape into his personal storeroom. "Which ingredients are used for a Dragon Tonic? This was briefly covered in your first year." Shite, I'm not too sure.

"Um… One Eagle-Owl feather, three Peacock feathers…" Ron replied, trying his best to remember the last ingredient. Fuck me, my headache is getting worse.

"And three Giant Purple Toad warts" Snape finished for him, putting said ingredients into Ron's hands. "Get started on heating up the Cauldron, I will join you shortly."

"Yes, Sir" Ron said, heading back to Snape's desk

---

Five Minutes Later

Ron was done heating the cauldron, but now he was unsure about what he was supposed to do. Ron's first year Potions textbook, which he had recently gone over, didn't explain how to brew the Dragon Tonic. It had merely touched on the ingredients, which meant that Ron didn't even know whether he needed water or spirits for the concoction's base. Snape was simply hovering around the room, checking everyone's work and helping them when necessary. It was odd seeing him like this… The man wasn't sneering, nor was he throwing out petty insults. He was genuinely helping everyone in the room, all the while lecturing them about the exploits of a Potions Master that Ron had never even heard of.

"Is the cauldron heated?" Snape asked as he came back to Ron, and Ron nodded. "Good, let's get started. I need you to crush the warts into a fine powdered state. They are already dried, so it won't take too long. I'll get started on readying the base."

"And what is the base, Sir?" Ron asked.

"A mixture of spirits and water" Snape replied as he got to work, and Ron nodded as he grabbed a mortar and pestle.

"Why are we brewing this Potion?" Ron asked.

"You ask a lot of questions, Mr. Weasley" Snape replied, his voice rather icy.

"I'm here to learn, and I can't learn by standing around silently" Ron shrugged, beginning his task.

"A fair point" Snape noted, much to Ron's surprise. He didn't tear into me? What sort of trick is this? "A client needs this Potion for an Elder Dragon that has come down with a Dragon Flu. Due to this Potion's low demand, he couldn't find it readily in store. So he sent me an Owl, and I accepted his request."

"And you use your clients in order to teach us?" Ron guessed, and Snape nodded.

"I find the hands on approach to be the best sort of tutelage when it comes to Potions" Snape replied, and Ron nodded slowly.

"Speaking of tutelage… Is this mine?" Ron asked.

"Partly, yes" Snape replied, waving his wand over the mixture inside of the cauldron.

"Brewing Potions counts as my tutelage?" Ron asked, slightly disappointed. "No Spells?"

"There will be time for Spells, Mr. Weasley" Snape replied, resisting the urge to glare at the boy. "Right now… You need to concentrate on your task."

"I understand" Ron nodded, continuing to crush the warts.

"Don't breathe in the powder" Snape warned him. "Giant Purple Toad warts are used in Potions created specifically for large beasts due to their 'numbing effect', one whiff of this will leave you paralyzed for hours."

"Really?" Ron asked, and Snape nodded. "So this can be used as a weapon of sorts? Like a bunch of people on brooms could fly over the enemy's line, all the while dropping bags of this stuff from up high in order to paralyze them." Snape turned around at that, and he gave Ron an odd look.

"I suppose…" Snape said, just staring at Ron. "You certainly have a vivid imagination…"

"Thank you" Ron smiled, maybe learning about this stuff wasn't so bad. I wonder if there are any other ingredients that cause paralysis. "Sir, if this ingredient is used to 'numb' big animals, then could an ingredient with a similar effect be used as a replacement for this one? Just in case you didn't have Giant Purple Toad warts on hand."

"Indeed, Mr. Weasley" Snape smirked slightly. "Certain ingredients share enough characteristics to be used in the same Potions, but the dosage would need to be accounted for. For example; A Runespoor's venom causes paralysis as well, however, unlike a Giant Purple Toad's warts, it is extremely potent. Therefore, you'd need to use it in very little quantity. Maybe a drop at most."

"That's neat" Ron nodded. "I should read up on ingredients instead of just Potions and their effects."

"That would be wise" Snape agreed, glad that the boy was genuinely trying to learn. Snape knew that children around Ron's age generally tended to gravitate towards flashy Spells instead of the brilliant craft of Potion making, so he appreciated Ron's attempts to better himself.

---

Hermione Granger's POV

Wednesday 2nd September, 1993 (The Library – After Classes)

This was unfair. Hermione hated feeling guilty about her jealousy towards Ron, who was no doubt currently enjoying his time in the most academically acclaimed club in Hogwarts. Her grades were just as good as Ron's, if not better, and yet, Ron was labelled a Prodigy. She spent far more time studying than he did, and yet, he was always rewarded. Professor Babbling had clearly taken a liking to Ron, and despite Hermione raising her hand multiple times, the Runes Professor always picked Ron to answer. It was demoralizing, and it was plain embarrassing. She had spotted Zabini, Dunbar, and even MacDougal smirking at her while Ron was being showered with praise. This was unfair, and despite having a right to feel jealous of Ron for being favored by everyone, she still felt guilty about it for some reason.

Hermione had spent so many hours in her holidays preparing for her extra classes, and now that she finally had the chance to show her knowledge, she was shunted off to the side. Professor Babbling wanted to hear Ron answer her questions… She only wanted to listen to the Prodigy's answers… Hermione had half a mind to go to the Headmaster about this, but she couldn't stack up the nerve to go that far. Ron had earned his House thirty House Points in a single class, while Hermione had only earned a meager five… And it wasn't because he was better than her, it was simply because he was given the opportunity to achieve them.

And now, Ron was a part of Snape's Potions Club. A club that she herself desperately wanted to be a part of. She had made her peace with waiting two more years before joining it, like everyone else in her shoes would have to do, but Ron was simply given free entry. Snape favored the Slytherins, everyone knew that, but this was too much. She had the exact same grades as Ron in Snape's class, and yet, Ron was a part of Snape's exclusive club while she was forced to hold back her tears in the library.

After her disheartening defeat in Professor Babbling's class, Hermione had swallowed her pride in order to ask Ron if he wanted to spend some time together. And what was Ron's response? He outright rejected her… That had hurt, but it was nothing compared to the explanation behind his refusal. She could still picture how pleased Zabini looked when Ron had told her, and she could still hear Zabini's words. 'Ron is his best student'… She had been forced to bite back her tears immediately. In that moment, she had felt like all of her hard work had meant nothing.

No matter how hard she tried to look at things logically, she always came back to the same conclusion. She was Ron's equal, but he was more popular than her, and therefore, he was treated better than her. The teachers all liked him, he made friends with people regardless of their Houses, and he simply inspired loyalty. Whereas she was called bossy, ignored for being a know-it-all, and only had three friends. Ron being her first, and Harry and Neville being her best friends.

Hermione sniffled once again as she turned the page of her Potions textbook, eager to read ahead in order to do better in Snape's class. If I show him that I'm just as good as Ron, he'll ask me to join his club as well. Her right hand was frantically taking down notes, and she ignored the ever-growing pain in her wrist. Somewhere in the back of her mind, a faint voice was telling her to stop wasting her time. That Snape hated her, and no matter how hard she worked in his class, he'd never see her as anything more than a know-it-all Gryffindor. But she persisted…

"There you are" came Harry's voice, and Hermione looked up from her books. Harry was smiling down at her, but when he saw that she was upset, his smile fell. "Hermione, what's wrong?"

"Nothing…" Hermione replied, though her croaky voice betrayed her.

"Hermione…" Harry sighed, quickly taking a seat to her right. "Tell me what happened. Please."

"Nothing happened…" Hermione lied once again, but he didn't buy it. Please just leave me alone.

"Was it one of the Slytherins?" Harry asked, a slight frown appearing on his face. If it was, then he was going to find them and hex them into oblivion.

"I just want to be left alone, Harry" Hermione muttered, going back to her books. "I just… I need to get this done, alright?"

"Alright…" Harry nodded, where was Neville when you needed him? "Do you mind if I join you?"

"You don't have any books" Hermione said, still writing down her notes.

"We're in a library" Harry smiled. "I'll be right back." With that, Harry quickly left for the Records Section. Hermione let out a tired sigh, she really didn't want Harry to waste his time off making her feel better. But Harry was far too noble to listen, and she knew that he wouldn't leave her alone when she was clearly upset.

"I'm back" Harry said as he scooted back into his seat.

"What did you get?" Hermione asked, unable to hold back her curiosity.

"A Dragon's Tale" Harry read from the cover of the book, and Hermione blinked at him. Did he just pick a random book in order to come right back?

"That's a children's story…" Hermione told him, looking back to her own work.

"Good, it won't make my head hurt then" Harry smiled widely, and Hermione's lips twitched upwards. Harry spotted that, and it made him rather glad. Neville's advice about 'just spending time with Hermione when she's upset' was clearly working.

"I… I don't want to talk about it…" Hermione said, clarifying that she wasn't in a talking mood.

"Alright" Harry shrugged. "I'll just make sure that you're not alone."

"Why?" Hermione asked, looking back up from her books.

"I don't like to be alone when I'm upset, so I'll make sure that you're not alone when you're upset" Harry replied, giving her another smile. Oh…

"Thanks, Harry…" Hermione couldn't help but smile back.

---

Daphne Greengrass' POV

Wednesday 2nd September, 1993 (Slytherin Common Room – Nearly Seven 'o'clock)

"Tori, I need to speak to you" Daphne said, keeping her eyes fixed on her little sister. The other first years politely averted their gazes, while Tori hopped out of her seat.

"Sure thing, Daph" Tori beamed, noticing that Daphne had her 'serious face' on. She'll never control her emotions, will she?

"Come" Daphne said, beginning her journey towards her dorm.

"Is everything alright, big sister?" Tori hummed, locking her arm with Daphne's. "I can't help but notice that you have a stark expression masking your beautiful features."

"Tori, behave" Daphne said, ignoring the skip in her sister's step.

"So it is something serious" Tori said, ignoring her sister's words. "Hmmm… You seem upset about something. I wonder what it is." I'm not upset about anything. "Let me guess, there's drama with your friends."

"No" Daphne said.

"There's drama between you and one of your friends" Tori took another guess, reading Daphne's expression for any hints.

"No" Daphne repeated, she had no intention of discussing her issues with her little sister. Knowing Tori, she'll just tell everyone in order to embarrass me.

"You're not making this any fun, you know that right?" Tori pouted. "C'mon Daphne… Talk to me, tell me your woes."

"Astoria… Stop it" Daphne sighed, she was way too tired to deal with her sister's pestering nature. Not to mention that I need to save my energy for my chat with Ron. I shouldn't have behaved so coldly towards him this morning, he didn't do anything to deserve it.

"Why are you taking me to your dorm?" Tori asked, she was cracking through Daphne's mask and she knew it. "Is this private Family business?"

"No, it's not" Daphne said. "Astoria, can't you just be patient?"

"No" Tori sniggered, hugging Daphne's arm more tightly. "I've missed you." Where did that come from? "You've barely acknowledged my divine presence, and I'm not going to lie Daphne, that wounds me deeply."

"I've been busy getting back into the right mindset for school, something that you clearly need to be taught" Daphne remarked. "First day here, and you got yourself a detention. You're lucky that I haven't told father, he'd burst a blood vessel."

"Oh, I sent him an owl about it already" Tori said, and Daphne blinked at her.

"What? Why?" Daphne asked, genuinely confused about Tori's actions.

"I thought that it'd be funny" Tori giggled. "I bet you ten Galleons that he's pulling his hair out right now." Merlin, she's utterly mental.

"He's going to blame me for this" Daphne said, unable to control the worry in her voice. "Tori… Why would you do that?"

"He won't blame you" Tori said, but Daphne knew better. He will. He always blames me for her mistakes. I'm the older sister, and therefore, it's 'my job' to keep her in check.

"You need to grow up" Daphne said, trying her best to not frown at Astoria. "You really just need to… grow up…" I'm in so much trouble…

"Ugh…" Tori rolled her eyes. "I keep hearing people mention how you're the 'Ice-Queen'… Do they know that you whine this much?" Daphne bit back her anger, deciding not to yell at Tori. If I do that, father and mother will both explode on me. Daphne opened the door to her dorm, and she gestured Tori to go inside. Tori walked inside nonchalantly, looking about the room with a critical eye. "Let me guess, that's your bed" Tori said, pointing to the bed with the neat silver covers on it.

"It is" Daphne said, and Tori ran up and jumped on it. Great, now I have to make my bed again.

"Ohhh… It's softer than my bed" Tori said, wiggling her bum in a rather disturbing manner. "Did you have the covers from home delivered here?"

"I did" Daphne admitted. "Do you want me to get you yours?"

"Yes please" Tori smiled widely.

"Alright, give me a couple of days" Daphne said, taking a seat at the edge of her bed. Tori quickly scampered behind her in order to put her arms around Daphne neck, all the while pressing her left cheek against Daphne's right one.

"What did you want to talk about?" Tori hummed, giving her sister a loving squeeze.

"Just wait… Ron will be here soon" Daphne said, absentmindedly patting Tori's other cheek.

"Ron?" Tori asked. "He's coming here to talk to me?"

"He is, and he's not happy" Daphne lied, deciding to play a joke of her own. I deserve the right to be a little petty, don't I?

"What?" Tori asked, tightening her hold on Daphne. "What did I do?"

"You'll see…" Daphne said, resisting the urge to smirk.

---

Five Minutes Later

Tori was clearly worried judging by her overly attached behavior. She had gone from asking question after question to resting her head on Daphne's lap, hoping that her big sister would defend her against whatever accusation Ron would throw at her. Daphne herself was rather surprised by how much Tori cared about Ron's opinion of her, and she wondered if Tori's little crush had something to do with that. Or maybe, Ron promised her something if she behaved. Whatever it is, I'll find out shortly. The door suddenly swung open, and much to the sisters' surprise, no one was there.

"What the…?" Tori mumbled, slowly raising her head. And then, the door closed. Ron.

"Hello" came Ron's voice, and then he suddenly appeared out of thin air.

"That's so wicked!" Tori hopped off of the bed, while Daphne just smirked at Ron. He loves to make an entrance, doesn't he? And I love the way he always just says 'Hello' in that odd monotone sort of way.

"Sorry about the Disillusionment Charm, but I didn't want anyone to see me come in" Ron said, shooting a weak smile at Daphne. That's when Daphne noticed how tired he looked… But not just tired, he looks unwell. "Snape made me stay behind to 'clean up' after everyone, which cost me over twenty minutes."

"Am I in trouble?" Tori asked suddenly, and Ron blinked at her. "I had nothing to do with the Moving Staircase, I swear it! I only watched your brothers Jinx it!" Huh? Brothers? The twins? She was with them?

"First of all… What the hell, Tori?" Ron frowned at her, and she looked down at her feet. "Didn't I tell you to behave?"

"You did…" Tori mumbled.

"You will not spend time with the twins" Ron told her, and Daphne decided to not intervene. She clearly listens to him, and it might be because he doesn't care about her privileged lifestyle so far. "You have a duty to your House to fulfill, and I will not allow you to lose us House Points because they talked you into causing havoc around this school. Am I clear?"

"Yes…" Tori muttered, shifting in her spot. Ron's expression softened at seeing her subdued behavior, and he sighed tiredly.

"Come here…" Ron gestured, and Tori slowly walked up to him. Ron put his arms around her, and she quickly hugged his middle. "Tori… You can't act like this at Hogwarts… There are people here that have their eyes on you, and if you slight them, they will make your life much harder than it needs to be. The Triumvirate are not people that you want to make enemies out of, do you understand?" Tori nodded into his upper stomach, while Ron gave Daphne a sorry smile. Oh, don't mind me. Please put some sense into her head.

"Now…" Ron said, lightly petting Tori's head. "I have a special task for you."

"Special task?" Tori asked, pulling her head back to see his face.

"Yeah, and only you can pull it off" Ron said firmly. "I need someone to keep their eyes open amongst the first years, and then I need them to report back to me."

"A spy?" Tori asked, her worries slowly fading away.

"In a way… Yes" Ron nodded, glad to see that Tori wasn't hurt by his words. "I want to know what's going on amongst the first years in order to keep them happy, and in doing so, keep them on task. Could you do that for me?"

"Do I get any special privileges?" Tori asked, and Daphne held back a laugh. She's at least got that in common with the rest of us.

"I'll teach you how become invisible like me at the end of the year… If you succeed in your task" Ron promised, and Tori's face nearly split open.

"DONE!" Tori all but yelled. "I'll be the best spy that you could ever hope for, I swear it!"

"Then you should probably never yell that out" Daphne said, her lips twitching upwards.

"Alright then" Ron nodded, smiling down at Tori. "Are there any observations that you've made so far?"

"Hmmm…" Tori hummed, thinking of everything that she had seen over the last two days. "Fawley is actively avoiding the Hufflepuffs, we've all noticed that. Cedric Diggory tried to speak to him today, but he hid his gaze and just ran off. Yaxley still doesn't have a hairbrush, and the twins won't lend her theirs. So I did that this morning. Oh! And Sebastian wants to join the Slytherin Quidditch Team."

"I see" Ron nodded. "Thank you, Tori. Remember to be careful, and make sure that none of the others suspect you."

"Yes, Sir" Tori gave a mock salute, her voice fully cheerful once again. Ron simply smiled and shook his head, just as amused as Daphne was.

"Off you go" Ron said, gesturing for Tori to go back to her new friends. Tori gave him another hug, and then she skipped out of the room, clearly glad that she wasn't in any trouble. "Why did she think that she was in trouble?" Ron asked Daphne as he closed the door behind Tori.

"I may have played a small prank on her" Daphne smirked, and Ron chuckled in a rather tired fashion. He then proceeded to walk over to her bed, and threw himself on top of it unceremoniously. Ron? "Ron, are you alright?" Daphne asked, rubbing his back from sheer instinct.

"I think I'm sick…" Ron groaned into her sheets. "Daphne… My head hurts…" His head? Or his brain?

"Did you have your Nutrition Potion this morning?" Daphne asked, forgetting about what was bothering her for a minute.

"I did…" Ron muttered, clutching his head with his hands. "Fuck…"

"Ron, let's get you to Pomfrey" Daphne said, she was starting to get rather worried. I knew that he looked unwell. How was he acting alright when Tori was around? His tolerance for pain is insane.

"I don't want to walk around…" Ron muttered. "I just need to sleep…"

"I'll get her for you" Daphne whispered as she leaned down, her face hovering near his right ear.

"Wait…" Ron mumbled, slowly lifting himself off of the bed. He looked paler than before, and she could see that he was starting to sweat. "Marty…" Marty? There was a sudden crack in the room, something that made Ron wince.

"Master called Marty?" Marty bowed deeply, and then he looked to Ron. "Master?!"

"I'm alright, Marty" Ron lied, and then he reached into his robes and took out his Gringotts pouch. "I need you to go and buy a hairbrush, the kind that an eleven year old Pure-Blood girl would like."

"Marty understands…" Marty nodded slowly, shooting a look towards Daphne.

"It's for Lysandra Yaxley, a first year Slytherin girl" Daphne figured, and Marty nodded in understanding.

"Make sure that you leave a note behind saying that it's from me" Ron said, handing over the pouch to Marty. "Then you can leave the pouch in my trunk…"

"Marty will get it done, Master" Marty bowed deeply, and then he was gone with another crack. Ron fell back onto the bed, his eyes fixed on the rafters above.

"Ron, when did start feeling sick?" Daphne asked, slowly scooting closer to his side. "You were alright this morning."

"After Runes…" Ron said, closing his eyes. "Something happened after Runes… And ever since then, I just keep feeling worse and worse."

"What happened?" Daphne asked.

"Blaise pissed me off…" Ron replied, and Daphne blinked at him. "He, for no fucking reason, decided to go out of his way to make Hermione miserable…" Granger? What did Blaise do to her? And what did Ron do to him? He's been awfully quite ever since classes ended.

"Ron, tell me what happened" Daphne said, making sure to sound patient.

"We were talking about the girls in our class, and when I brought up Hermione, Blaise didn't hold back on his thoughts" Ron started, his entire body relaxing into her sheets. "I didn't mind that, I always enjoy listening to his thoughts… But then, after class was over, she came over to ask me if I could spend some time with her." She fucking what? Relax, Daphne… Calm down. "I told her that I had Potions Club, and I swear Daph… She looked so hurt… She looked so damn hurt…" Ron shifted a little, and a groan escaped his throat.

"What did Blaise do?" Daphne whispered, trying her best to not make any noise.

"He decided to throw my Prodigy status in her face, and he did it knowing full well that it would hurt her even more…" Ron replied, a frown creeping onto his pale face. "She left after that… Fuck… She looked so disheartened…"

"Why would Blaise do that?" Daphne asked, she knew that Blaise wouldn't do such a thing without a reason.

"He wanted to prove some point" Ron grit out. "He wanted to show me that 'Hermione's ego was more important to her than our friendship'… He wanted to show me that I am naïve when it comes to people that I care about… I don't know why the fuck he decided to do that out of nowhere, and I just… I bloody lost it…"

"Ron… What did you do?" Daphne asked, she needed to speak with Blaise.

"I slammed him against a wall…" Ron confessed, and Daphne nearly sighed out of frustration.

"Why? Blaise is your friend…" Daphne said. How could you hit him?

"So is Hermione…" Ron countered, his voice almost fading away. He's falling asleep. "I've gone through so much shite in order to stay friends with the Trio, and you know that they're important to me. To my goals… But he nearly destroyed that to 'make a point'… Why would he do that? He's supposed to have my back, just like I have his… And so what if I'm a little naïve when it comes to my friends? If I wasn't, then I'd probably be in Gryffindor by now… I fought to stay here, Daph. I fought my own Family to stay here. He had no right to potentially damage my friendship with someone else…" What the hell was Blaise thinking? I need to speak to him. I don't want them both to start fighting.

"I'll talk to him, and we'll sort this out" Daphne whispered. "Why don't you take a nap? I'll come and wake you up after dinner, and then you can go to your own room."

"Don't leave…" Ron said, his eyes opening again. They're slightly bloodshot. "I want to talk to you about this morning."

"We can do that later" Daphne said. "Please just rest, Ron."

"Were you angry with me for Theo and Blaise's interruption?" Ron asked, clearly ignoring her advice.

"No… I was just…" Daphne started, but then she trailed off.

"Go on" Ron said, lazily looking at her.

"I was angry with myself" Daphne admitted. "I… We were going too far, Ron. And it was my idea… When Theo and Blaise interrupted us, it hit me that we're not really a couple… That we're just…" That we're just fooling around. "I don't want my first proper kiss to just go to anyone… I know that that is a childish thing to want, but it's what I want… I don't like losing control like that, and you were just an easy outlet… That is until you told me to stop taking it out on you, and I realized that I was being foolish. I'm sorry, Ron."

"I… I understand…" Ron nodded, drifting off to sleep. "We agreed to stay in our comfort zones… I'll always respect your limits, Daph…"

"Thanks, Ron" Daphne smiled weakly, watching his features carefully. "Ron?" He… He just fell asleep. Daphne gave him a quick peck on his lips, and then she slowly got off of the bed. "I'll see you after dinner."

---

Wednesday 2nd September, 1993 (The Great Hall – Dinnertime)

"So he's just asleep in our dorm?" Pansy asked, and Daphne nodded.

"I'll wake him up after dinner ends" Daphne replied, and then she looked to Theo. "You mind taking him back to your dorm?"

"Not at all" Theo said, cutting into his steak. "His illness… It doesn't have anything to do with… You know…" His brain-damage?

"No, I don't think so" Daphne replied, and Theo gave a relieved sigh. "I think that he's just exhausted."

"Good" Theo nodded to himself. Daphne then looked to Blaise, who was quietly eating his dinner. Here I go.

"Blaise, how are you feeling?" Daphne asked, and Blaise looked up with a blank expression.

"I feel fine" Blaise replied.

"Is your back alright? Ron didn't hurt you too badly, did he?" Daphne asked, and everyone blinked at her.

"Ron hit you?" Pansy asked, her eyes going straight to Blaise.

"What happened?" Millie asked, genuinely shocked that Ron would go that far.

"Mate…" Theo muttered, looking at Blaise with a baffled expression.

"He didn't hit me…" Blaise frowned at Daphne. "Things got a little heated between us, and he pushed me into a wall… That's all."

"Heated?" Tracey asked. "How could he do that?" Give him a break, Blaise certainly didn't help in that situation.

"Blaise decided to interfere with Ron's friendship with Granger" Daphne told them, her eyes fixed on Blaise's. "Mind telling us why you would do that? It's completely out of character for you." Blaise is the last person who would pull a stunt like this, so something is definitely wrong here.

"Interfere with Ron's friendship with Granger?" Pansy repeated, eyeing Blaise with a confused expression.

"I… I made a mistake, alright…" Blaise sighed, looking back to his meal. "He's always heard out my opinions, but this time, I bit off more than I could chew… I just want him to stop being so damn naïve… Did you see him this morning? How he openly paired up with Patil? All the while completely ignoring that Crabbe and Goyle were glaring at him. Or how at lunch he just walked over to the Gryffindor table without a care? Even the Triumvirate were eyeing him with frowns… How many times are we going to let him drag us into all sorts of problems because of his friendship with those three leeches?"

"So you actively decided to interfere?" Theo asked, his confusion had turned into annoyance. "Ron isn't like us, and you bloody well know that. You're lucky that you still have your teeth…"

"He has spent the last two years cultivating that alliance…" Millie pointed out, moments away from smacking Blaise herself. "How could you undermine his efforts like that?"

"That doesn't give Ron the right to manhandle his friends" Tracey jumped in, shooting Blaise a sympathetic look. "Are you sure that you're alright?"

"I'm fine" Blaise assured them. "In hindsight, I took things too far. But I can't change the past… What I can do is to advise him properly from now on. Now… Can I go back to my dinner?"

"Don't ever interfere with his business again, Blaise" Daphne said firmly, her eyes digging into his. "When you and Theo still wanted to be friends with Malfoy, Ron respected your choices. Despite how much he hated Malfoy, he never once interfered with your 'friendship' with him. The least you can do is pay him the same respect."

"So we're not going to talk about the fact that Ron thinks that he can throw us around whenever he's upset?" Tracey asked, looking towards the others for support.

"I'll talk to him about that at a later date" Daphne replied. Millie seems to be pissed off at Blaise, Theo's annoyed with Blaise's poor handling of the situation, and Pansy seems to have zoned out. She really hates conflict, doesn't she?

"Granger isn't here" Theo pointed out suddenly, and Daphne shot a quick look behind her. Potter and Longbottom are there, but no Granger. Wait… Is Potter staring at us? Damn. Did she tell him what Blaise did?

"Great… Now Potter is glaring at us" Millie frowned at Blaise, who simply shrugged in response.

"I'll deal with it on my own" Blaise said. "It was my mistake, and I'll fix it myself."

"No, we'll fix it together" Daphne said. I can't let this split the group. Ron's not here to give out the orders, so I need to take charge. Just like second year. "We'll ask Potter what's wrong, and when he tells us, we'll do our best to patch up Ron's relationship with them. Is that clear?"

"We should also play innocent until he throws out an accusation" Theo advised. "We don't know what he knows, and for all we know, he knows nothing." Do you want to say the word 'know' again?

---

Ronald Weasley's POV

Wednesday 2nd September, 1993 (The Girls' Dorm – Dinnertime)

"Champion…" came a distant voice, and Ron jerked awake. The first thing he felt was pure agony, and he let out a horrifying cry. MY SKULL! FUCKING FUCK!

"Fuck!" Ron snapped, jerking up while clutching his head.

"You shouldn't have crossed me, Black" came an all too familiar voice, and Ron felt like someone was drilling into his temples. "Now look at you… Your Godson dead at my feet, and your miserable life coming to a close."

"AGH!" Ron screamed, rolling off of the bed and landing on the ground with a thud. "What the fuck?!"

"She's just a baby…" a woman cried inside of Ron's head. "Please don't… She's just… NO! DELPHINI!"

"What's happening?!" Ron screamed, his vision fading in and out. "What the fuck?!" Ron tried to stand up, but that burning sensation inside of his stomach exploded, and Ron vomited all over the floor. His nostrils burned, his throat felt like it had been torn apart, and his head was throbbing so much that he feared that something was trying to claw out of it.

"I can't do this anymore…" a boy cried in his mind. "I can't… I can't live like this… Mum… Dad… Gin… I'm sorry…" A sudden jolt of pain fired up Ron's body, and when it reached his brain, it amplified his murderous headache. Ron let out a bloodcurdling scream as he fell into his own sick, flailing about like a fish out of water.

"IT HURTS!" Ron screamed, his eyes already shedding thick tears. "MERLIN! KILL ME! FUCKING KILL ME!"

"You killed someone, Ron" came his mother's horrified gasp, and Ron curled in on himself. "You killed a man in cold blood…"

"HELP ME!" Ron screamed, somehow managing to stand up. He tried limping towards the door, but another jolt of pain sent him spiraling to the floor. Ron grit his teeth in order to hold back another scream, afraid that his throat would tear open if he screamed again. "ENTITY?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME?!"

"I should've stopped you when I had the chance…" came Dumbledore's voice, it sounded strained and distant. What is this?! Ron crawled towards the door, his entire body trembling from fear and pain. He felt like he was dying, but more than that, he wanted to die. Anything was better than this pain… Anything…

"I'll give you anything… Please… Just don't kill me…" a woman cried inside his head, her voice sounding awfully like Future Daphne's.

"ENTITY?!" Ron screamed again, violently striking his own head. "YOU MOTHERFUCKER!" Another jolt of pure agony hit him as he reached the door, and Ron sobbed so hard that he threw up again. Ron was openly crying now, all while trying to reach up to the door's handle.

"This monster owns me…" his own voice cried. "What else am I supposed to do? I can just… I can just end it… I can just… sleep…"

"Merlin…" Ron wept as he yanked the door open, stumbling out and hitting the nearest wall with a hard thud. "Something's trying to tear itself out of my head…" Ron cried, hitting his head over and over again. "Kill me… Kill me!"

"Potter's already dead, Granger" a man said smoothly, and Ron could hear a woman whimpering. "Longbottom's dead, Brown's dead, Lovegood's dead, Chang's dead, and now… You're dead too… My Cycle may be over, but I'll shed as much blood as I can before I die… You all owe me that much…"

"WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE?!" Ron screamed, using the wall to support himself. "WHERE ARE YOU?!" When no answer came, Ron whimpered as he limped towards the common room. Pomfrey… Pomfrey… Pomfrey…

"HUFFLEPUFF!" came the hat's excited voice, and Ron felt like someone had stabbed him in the back of the head. He barely managed to stay standing, but his vision completely blacked out.

"I can't see…" Ron cried, going completely hysterical because of the sheer amount of pain that he was in. "I can't see… Help me…" He kept limping forward, the wall being his only guide. He had to get to Pomfrey… He had to reach her, or he was going to die down here. "Where is everyone…?"

"I have seen your heart, and it is mine" came a bone-chilling hiss. "I have seen your dreams, Ronald Weasley… And I have seen your fears… Least loved by your mother, who craved a daughter… Least loved by the girl, who prefers your friend…"

"I don't understand…" Ron whimpered, and then he suddenly lost his footing and rolled down some steps. He was sure that he had bruised himself, but at that point, he barely felt anything but his headache. Ron's vision slowly began to return, and so he looked around the common room groggily. Everything was just a blur, except for a red haired man standing by the fire. "Help me…" Ron called out to him, but the man didn't even acknowledge his presence. "Please…"

"R.A.B" the man muttered to himself, a shiny locket hanging from his right hand. "Who are you?"

"Help…" Ron wheezed, using every ounce of strength in himself to slowly stand back up. "I… I think I'm dying…" Ron stumbled towards the man, and as he got closer, he realized that he could see through the red haired man. A ghost?

"All of that for nothing…" the red haired man said, and then he turned around to leave. Ron's breath hitched in his throat… The man in front of him was… him? The other Ron looked older, and far more weathered, but there was no mistaking it. Ron was seeing himself…

"What… What is this?" Ron muttered, forgetting his headache for a moment. But that moment ended quickly as another jolt shot up into Ron's brain, and the red haired man simply vanished as Ron gasped for air. Pomfrey… Get to Pomfrey… Ron twisted his body around and began limping towards the exit, his mind racing at the speed of lightning. "That was me… I saw me…"

"Kreacher lives to serve… Sir…" came disgusting old voice, and Ron yanked at his hair as he bit down on his tongue.

"It hurts… It hurts…" Ron cried over and over, begging for it to just end. His mind had started to go numb, and yet, the pain was so severe that his body simply refused to shut down. "Visions… I'm having visions…" Ron told himself. "Dumbledore needs to know…"

"Your visions aren't real, Ron!" Hermione screamed in his head, and Ron winced because of it. "You need help! You're… You're insane!"

"No… No, I'm not…" Ron muttered to himself, making his way up the stairs. "Dumbledore… Help me…" There was a sudden ringing noise from above him, followed by an explosion of some sort. Ron immediately bent over and covered his head, afraid of falling debris. But rather than debris, a see-through Ronald Weasley crashed down in front of him. Ron eyed the Future version of himself, his… Hufflepuff uniform… torn and covered in his own blood. Ron gagged at the sight of his own visage with its head split open, shards of teeth and bone poking out of its head unnaturally.

"I love you, Ron" came a girl's voice, and Ron couldn't place it.

"Get out of my head!" Ron yelled, squeezing his head as hard as he could between his hands.

"You're my brother, Ron" came Harry's voice. "I know that you've already got five… But to me… You're my brother. My Family." Ron winced from the pain once again, and he clenched his teeth so hard that he feared shattering them. And Ron trudged on, using the wall to his left as support. Dumbledore… Dumbledore's Office… Fuck! Why is this happening to me?!

It took Ron almost ten minutes to get up to the seventh floor, and he was dead-certain that most of the portraits that weren't off visiting the other portraits had seen him. But he just didn't care, the pain was somehow getting worse, and it was taking all of his strength to not throw himself down the stairs in order to find relief. His wand was in his robe pocket, and Ron had thought about ending his own life multiple times, but by some otherworldly need to survive, Ron kept trudging up the stairs. As Ron finally turned the corner which would lead him to Dumbledore's Office, he found the scene of a massacre.

"Merlin… What the fucking shite?" Ron gasped, his lungs completely empty of air. Dozens of see-through bodies lay in the corridor, all of them torn to bloody shreds. The entire floor was covered in a thick layer of crimson, and right in the middle of it all was a red haired man in a neat black suit. Ron's eyes widened at the sight of 'himself', looking completely clean and smiling proudly at his handiwork. As Ron limped further into the corridor, avoiding looking at the corpses with all of his willpower, he noticed that the older version of himself was wearing a deep blue sapphire pin on his black tie, and it looked like an eagle.

"I'll have to get these shoes cleaned…" the older Ron said, sighing as he inspected his bloody black shoes. "Who else can I kill today? World-Eater? Any thoughts?" World-Eater?

"What the fuck…?' Ron muttered, hugging the wall as he passed by his deranged clone. "What the fuck? What the fuck? Merlin…" Ron gagged as he saw 'Susan Bones' sitting upright against a wall with her head in her lap, absolute shock and horror etched upon her face. "No… Oh no…" Ron muttered, quickly making his way past his hallucinations.

"Ron?" came Hermione's voice.

"STAY OUT OF MY HEAD! FUCK!" Ron screamed, once again yanking at his hair.

"Ron…?" came a frightened voice from ahead of him, and Ron looked up to see Hermione staring at him. Ron blinked at her, she wasn't see-through. "Ron…? What's wrong…?" Hermione whimpered, staring at him with a genuinely terrified look.

"You're real?" Ron asked, but before she could answer him, a horrifying amount of pain seized his brain. Ron let out a throat tearing scream as he fell onto his knees, it was like his head was trying to split open. "KILL ME! JUST FUCKING KILL ME!"

"Oh my god…" Hermione gasped, her back hitting the stone gargoyle as she watched Ron viciously beat himself over the head. There were bruises on his forehead and temples, and quite a bit of his hair had been yanked out. "Ron?!" Hermione quickly ran up to him, trying to grab a hold of him. "What's wrong?! Tell me!"

"Dumbledore…" Ron cried, opening his eyes to look at her. Hermione's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, and she fell on her arse in an effort to get away from him.

"What are you…?" Hermione muttered, her face losing all of its blood.

"SHE'S SEEN US! KILL HER!" the Entity bellowed, making Ron's head rattle. What?! What the fuck?! Seen you?! You're back?!

"Your eyes… Oh my god… You're not him… What… What are you…?" Hermione stammered, slowly crawling backwards.

"Hermione…" Ron started, but he stopped when the Entity's voice rang out from his throat. And time seemed to just stop for him. His brain completely forgot the pain that he was just in, Hermione just sat there with horror marking her features, and Ron just stared at her in equal amounts of horror.

"She will be the end of your Cycle…" the Entity spoke in his mind. "Kill her."

"Demon…" Hermione cried, her mind completely snapping for a moment. And time restarted. Hermione got up to run, and Ron launched himself at her. I can't let her ruin everything!

---

AUTHOR'S NOTES: OH NO! Did he seriously end it like that?! He did... Consider yourselves '69ed'... Actually, please don't.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that. The entire Chapter took place in one day, and it was a long bloody day. Now, you're all probably dying with a lot of questions, but you'll have to wait a while to get them. I've decided to go back to my earlier chapters in order to fix them up to the current standard. I feel like a lot of people get turned off by poor grammar in the earlier chapters, and I've decided to fix that up. It'll all stay the same, but it'll look better.

I'll be doing the 'repairs' for a couple of weeks... So, I'll see you soon!