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.

79. Chapter 79 - And then, There Were Eight

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Chapter 79 is done! Bloody hell, one more chapter before we reach eighty chapters. To think that we started only in January... Time flies, eh?

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.

---

Fate

Chapter 79 – And then, There Were Eight

Ronald Weasley's POV

Wednesday 30th September, 1993 (Boys' Room – Near Midday)

As macabre as it was, Ron was genuinely looking forward to attending this funeral. The last couple of days had been dreadfully boring, not to mention just depressing. Ron and his friends had stayed shut in with Malfoy in the boys' room, and since Malfoy couldn't be trusted, none of them really spoke. If it wasn't for Marty sending them food directly from the Kitchens, Ron would've probably murdered Malfoy by now.

They each spent their time in their own ways, doing their best to forget the fact that this was their new normal. Pansy read her magazines, Tracey listened to her Walkman, Millie read a book on 'Thai-Boxing', Daphne kept trying on different nail polishes, Theo read his book on flowers, Blaise was still too guilty to say anything, and Ron practiced the Silencing Charm. And Malfoy… He seemed to take some odd sort of pleasure from his handiwork. That is until Ron looked in his direction, because whenever he did, Malfoy would quickly go back to his homework.

"Right, I'll be off then," Ron said as he came out of the bathroom, his all-black suit spotless.

"You look great," Pansy smiled at him, and Ron managed a smile back.

"You're not wearing Funeral Robes?" Malfoy asked coldly, and everyone immediately glared at him.

"Shut up, Malfoy," multiple people bit out.

"I don't have Funeral Robes," Ron told the ponce. "None that fit me anyway."

"Here," Theo said, and Ron noticed that his weedy friend was holding out a glass cube in his direction.

"What's that?" Tracey asked.

"A White Stargazer Lily incased in solid glass," Theo replied as Ron slowly took the cube from him. It's pretty. "White Stargazer Lilies specifically symbolize sorrow and sympathy. Longbottom will understand." Ron eyed the white the flower, its pink freckles were rather eye-catching.

"You got this for him?" Ron asked, he was quite surprised by Theo's thoughtfulness.

"I got it for you," Theo shrugged, and Ron blinked at him. "He's your Eternal Friend, right? This will show him that he's been in your thoughts, which in turn will bring you two closer. Don't worry, it didn't cost me too much."

"Always scheming," Tracey smiled at Theo, and he shrugged once again.

"Thank you, Theo," Ron smiled as well. "Alright, I'll be back around dinnertime." Ron then looked to Malfoy, who cocked his eyebrow in return. "If you do anything to piss anyone off while I'm gone, then our deal is off."

"Whatever, Weasley," Malfoy rolled his eyes, and Ron bit back his anger.

"What a bitch," Tracey muttered under her breath, while Millie glared at the Malfoy Heir. Ron then left the room, he had no intention of letting Malfoy get to him.

"Ron, please wait," came Daphne's voice as he was nearing the common room, and Ron turned around with a faint smile. "Hi…"

"Hello," Ron greeted back. "Aren't you that Weasley kid's girlfriend?" Daphne blinked at that, but then she smiled widely.

"I am," Daphne huffed. "You'd better not try and make a move on me, or my boyfriend will beat you up."

"I could take him," Ron sniggered, they had barely spoken since becoming an official couple. "What is it, Daph?"

"I just wanted to ask you something before you left," Daphne replied, and then she showed him her nails. "Which one do you like the most?" Huh?

"Um…" Ron hummed, his eyes scanning the ten different colors.

"It's just that… I want to wear the color that you like…" Daphne mumbled, and Ron could smell her embarrassment filling the air. He thought it was rather cute.

"I like the red, because of my hair, but the green suits you more," Ron said genuinely. "Also, my serpent ring matches the green… Actually, no… I reckon you should go with the glittery blue. It matches your tennis bracelet, and if you made it a little darker, it'd match your eyes too."

"Right…" Daphne replied slowly, she was rather taken aback by his attention to detail. "That was quite the answer."

"This is what couples do, right?" Ron smiled at her, and she nodded slowly. "Well, I like the glittery blue."

"It's called Starry Day," Daphne told him, and Ron just nodded for the sake of nodding. You can't see stars during the day though. "Thanks, Ron. I'll start using this one more."

"Alright," Ron said, and then he turned to leave.

"Ahem," Daphne cleared her throat, and Ron turned back around.

"Daph, I'm going to be late…" Ron pointed out, but she merely tapped her lips. Kiss? Ron walked up and gave her a couple of quick pecks, which made her smile in a rather pleased manner.

"Good luck with your parents today," Daphne said. "And Ron, don't lose your temper if they refuse you. Promise me that you won't make a fool of yourself at a funeral."

"I'll do my best, Daphne," Ron promised, and she gave him another quick peck.

"Bye," Daphne said, and Ron waved as he turned around and left. This Malfoy business is ruining my love life. We can't even tell our friends, and I've barely had the chance to speak with her.

---

Five Minutes Later

"Finally," Fred said as Ron entered Dumbledore's Office.

"Sorry, but the Dungeons are quite far away from here," Ron smiled apologetically. He then eyed the people in Dumbledore's Office, his head nodding in approval at seeing his siblings wearing all-black. Ginny was still wearing her bracelet though, but that only served to please Ron greatly. She still wears it every day. That's good. I'm glad that she likes it so much.

"You look a bit too dapper for a funeral, Ronnikins," George pointed out, and Ron blinked at him. The twins were wearing baggy Funeral Robes, their ties hanging loosely around their open collars. Percy, on the other hand, was wearing clean and pressed Funeral Robes, his tie tied tightly around his closed collar.

"I don't have Funeral Robes," Ron told them. And I'd much rather wear a tailored suit anyway. Something about wearing them makes me feel confident and in control.

"What's that in your hand?" Luna hummed, her brand new black dress looked rather odd on her. It's just that she always wears such colorful clothes.

"It's a White Stargazer Lily," Ron replied, while Ginny and Luna smiled at the pretty flower.

"The flower of sorrow and sympathy," came Dumbledore's voice, and Ron looked to find the old wizard sitting behind his desk. His eyes weren't twinkling today, which suited his current black and gold robes. Of course he's attending the funeral, he knew the Longbottoms personally.

"Is it for Neville?" Percy asked, and Ron nodded. "That's very thoughtful of you, Ron."

"Actually… It was Theo's idea," Ron admitted, he wanted his siblings to respect his friends more. Plus, I would have never thought of this. "It's from all of us." His siblings gave slow nods at that, except for Luna, who was still just smiling at the flower.

"Sorry, I'm late," came a girl's voice from behind them, and Ron turned to see Susan Bones rush into the room. Susan? "Hello, everyone."

"Hello, Susan," Ron greeted back, a slightly confused look on his face.

"Are you coming with us?" Luna asked, and Susan nodded as she fixed her hair. She was, like always, wearing it in a plait.

"My parents and auntie are attending the funeral, so I asked them if I could come and give my respects as well," Susan told them, and they all nodded approvingly. Isn't her auntie Amelia Bones? Merlin, I wonder how Susan would react if she knew that I was scheming to put her auntie in power.

"Since you are all here," Dumbledore started, and Ron turned to see the old wizard standing behind Ginny and Luna. "Let's be on our way."

"We're going with you, Headmaster?" Percy asked.

"Indeed, Percy," Dumbledore gave a nod, while Fawkes flew down onto his right shoulder. "I spoke with your parents, and they have allowed me to bring you all to Magnus Cemetery personally. Now come… Join hands so Fawkes can take us all there." Oh! We're about to do that 'fiery apparition'. They all made a circle and joined hands, with Ron making sure to hold Ginny and Luna's hands. Fawkes then burst into flames, and after feeling searing heat pass over their skins, they all found themselves at the gates of the cemetery.

"That was wicked," the twins said together, and Fawkes let out a proud shrill. I know right! Fawkes is bloody awesome.

"Go my friend, enjoy the clear weather," Dumbledore said, and Fawkes took off for the skies. They all let go of each other's hands at that, and then they looked around. It's greener than I thought it would be. "Come, the funeral service will begin soon." They all followed Dumbledore at that, and while Percy tried to stick close to the Headmaster, Ron and the others walked a little more slowly.

"I've heard awe-inspiring stories about the Longbottoms from my parents," Susan suddenly whispered, and Ron looked to her. Is she talking to me? Susan was indeed speaking to him, and so Ron moved a little closer to her side. "My uncle was in the Order with them, you see."

"Was?" Ron asked softly, and she gave him a nod.

"He died in the Great War," Susan replied, and Ron gave her a sorry smile. "It's alright though… He fought bravely, and he gave his life in order to save the World from You-Know-Who. He did the Bones Family proud, as my dad always says."

"Was he in Hufflepuff?" Ron asked, and Susan nodded proudly.

"All of us Bones go to Hufflepuff," Susan replied. "Sort of like your… Oh… I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"It's alright," Ron waved a dismissive hand. "I've always had shite luck." Susan blinked at him, and then she let out a weak laugh, which she promptly tried to conceal. The twins, Ginny, and Luna looked back at the two of them, and then they looked forward again.

"Don't make me laugh, we're going to a funeral," Susan 'scolded' him, while he raised his hands in mock surrender. Susan then looked around herself, and so Ron did the same. "There are other people holding funerals here?"

"The death-toll is over two hundred and seventy now," Ron replied, a part of him felt weak because of his own words.

"It's so horrible," Susan sighed out. "So many people just… gone…" And many more will follow. The Dark Lord and his followers should be the ones getting buried, not innocent people who are just trying to live their lives.

"Did you know about Neville's parents being in St. Mungo's?" Ron asked, and she shook her head.

"Not at first," she replied. "My dad told me that the Longbottoms were 'gone'. I assumed that they had passed away, but now I know what really happened to them. I just want to give Neville a really long hug, you know. I never knew that he had such a difficult life before this. What about you? Did you know?"

"I learned about it last year," Ron admitted. "And yeah, I get how you feel. Poor bloke…" Ron then looked forward and saw that their parents were waiting for them. "I'll talk to you later, Susan."

"Bye, Ron," Susan shot him a smile, and then she walked over to her parents, while Ron and his siblings walked over to theirs. Dumbledore left to find the Longbottoms after giving the parents a somber nod.

"Fred! George! Tuck in your shirts!" Molly hissed at her twin sons. "And tie those ties!"

"C'mon, you two," Arthur frowned at them. "Show some respect please." The twins sighed and did as they were told, while Molly and Arthur checked over their other children. Luna was too busy ogling her mother's belly, and she didn't even notice that Xeno was tying her dirty blonde hair into a neat ponytail.

"Ginny, take off your jewelry please," Molly instructed, and Ginny stepped back with a slightly panicked look. What's with that bizarre reaction?

"No," Ginny said, and then she looked to her father.

"Molly, it's fine," Arthur said, and Molly suddenly remembered what Ginny's bracelet really was.

"Alright," Molly consented, and the brothers exchanged confused looks. She changed her tune just like that? Ron eyed Ginny's bracelet, which she quickly hid from his sight.

"What?" Ginny asked harshly, and Ron raised his hands in surrender. Yeesh… I didn't even say anything.

"Don't take that tone with your older brother," Molly scolded offhandedly, her eyes scanning Ron's suit. "Full-black. Good job, Ronnie."

"Thanks," Ron nodded curtly, he hadn't spoken to, or seen, his parents since his outburst at Greengrass Manor.

"What's that?" Arthur asked, his eyes fixed on the glass cube in Ron's gloved hand.

"A White Stargazer Lily… It was my friend Theo's idea," Ron replied, and then he showed his parents the glass incased flower. "It symbolizes sympathy and sorrow. Theo said that Neville will understand that because he's amazing at Herbology." Molly and Arthur nodded slowly, and then they smiled weakly.

"Theo is certainly a thoughtful boy," Molly nodded in approval, and Ron mentally patted his own back. He can be when he's not being a proper bastard. "Come, let's head inside. Pandora, are you ready?"

"We're ready," Pandora nodded, she was still checking Luna over for hidden jewelry. After Luna was thoroughly searched, they all began heading inside together. Ron kept his distance from the Lovegoods, mostly because looking at Xeno reminded him of what he had asked of Daphne. I'll pay her back. Wait… Does date money count towards my debt? No, that feels really wrong. I'll just pay for the dates because it's the gentlemanly thing to do. As for the debt, I'll wait until I have enough money to pay her back and still have plenty left behind for myself.

"Augusta," Arthur greeted the old witch, whose Grandson was standing to her right. "You have all of our condolences." Arthur then looked to Neville, and he said the same thing again.

"Thank you, Arthur," Lady Longbottom said, and Neville parroted her. "Please make your way inside. Your Family's seats have already been selected for you." Arthur and Molly exchanged looks, and then they nodded. As they began heading inside, Ron approached his Eternal Friends.

"Lady Longbottom… Neville… You have my sympathies," Ron gave them both light head-bow.

"Thank you, Ronald," Lady Longbottom gave him a weak smile, she looked much older than usual.

"Thank you, Ron," Neville said in a rather dull voice, and Ron stepped closer to him.

"Here," Ron said as he held out the glass cube, which Neville took slowly. "Wasn't too sure when to give this to you, but now seems as good a time as any."

"Is… Is that a White Stargazer Lily?" Neville asked, something shifting behind his eyes. Lady Longbottom just eyed the flower, she had no idea why it had coaxed actual words out of her Grandson's mouth.

"Theo said that you'd understand its meaning," Ron replied, and Neville blinked at him.

"Nott got this for me?" Neville asked, and Ron nodded.

"It's from all of us, but yeah… Theo is the one who got it," Ron replied, and Neville managed a weak smile at the flower.

"It symbolizes sorrow and sympathy," Neville told his confused Gran, who gave a slow nod in response. "Thanks, Ron… And send the others my thanks as well."

"I will," Ron nodded, and then he followed after his Family. He could hear the Lovegoods expressing their sympathies to the Longbottoms, and he elected to join his Family instead of waiting.

"Third row, Arthur?" he heard his mother whisper. "She's put us ahead of the Order members?" His parents then looked to him, and something clicked in Arthur's head.

"The Order didn't save her Grandson's life," Arthur said, and everyone looked to Ron. "If it weren't for Ron, Augusta would have nothing today…"

"Is being on the third row a bad thing?" Ron asked, why did they have to make a big deal out of everything? "Because to me, it sounds like a great honor. One that we dare not refuse."

"Ease up on the serpent talk," Fred rolled his eyes. I'll show you real 'serpent talk' if you embarrass this Family today.

"None of that," Arthur frowned at Fred. "Ron is right. Everyone, start taking your seats. And remember to behave."

"Or there will be consequences," Molly added, and then she looked to the approaching Lovegoods. "Pandora, we're to be seated in the third row."

"Us as well?" Xeno asked, his eyes darting towards Ron.

"Yes," Arthur nodded. I should thank Lady Longbottom for including the Lovegoods. Neville no doubt told her how important they are to me.

---

Nearly an Hour Later

The funeral was currently underway, and Ron found himself enamored by the eulogies being given. The Longbottoms, of course, sat in the first row. Neville, Augusta, Algie, Enid, Harfang, and Callidora Longbottom were all in attendance, with Harfang and Callidora's children being the only exception. The second row was filled with Aurors, Dumbledore, and the Minister himself. And in the third row sat Ron's Family, Sirius, Harry, and Hermione.

Ron was slightly surprised to see that McGonagall, Sprout, and Flitwick had come alongside Remus, while Madam Pomfrey was also attending. Judging by all of their somber looks, they were truly upset by Frank and Alice Longbottom's passing. Ron also couldn't help but admire the Ebony caskets being used for the funeral service, caskets that were ornamented with white roses. This was, apparently, how every Auror was buried. Truth be told, Ron was rather looking forward to the 'Auror's farewell', which was, according to the twins, quite a spectacle. The only thing that Ron didn't like was the fact that reporters had shown up outside the barrier in order to take photos of the once famous Aurors' funeral.

"Rufus Scrimgeour, the Head Auror, has also elected to share a few words with us," the service provider said, and Ron's ears perked up once again. I met him once! Rufus Scrimgeour limped behind the podium, and then he took off his wire-rimmed spectacles. His keen yellow eyes surveyed the crowd, and they seemed to linger on Neville.

"As many of you are aware, I fought alongside Frank and Alice during the Great War," Scrimgeour started, and many people nodded. "We did not always agree on matters of warfare. We often argued on what the Ministry was supposed to be doing. And when they left to join the Order, I found myself at odds with them." That's a rather strange start to a eulogy, isn't it?

"But despite all of that, I truly respected them," Scrimgeour went on, and many of the older Aurors nodded along. Madam Roberts is here too. The only Auror missing is Mad-eye Moody, which is a shame because I really wanted to meet him. "They were brave, strong-minded, and powerful. They served their people, as all those from the Ministry should, and for that, I always respected them. I was there on the day Frank Longbottom denounced the Dark Lord in the middle of the Ministry, and like many of the spectators, I listened with open ears and a proud smile on my face. In a time of fear and desperation, Frank Longbottom's words breathed life into many weakened hearts."

"When I learned of what happened to them shortly after the Dark Lord's demise, I gathered a squad of the best Aurors I knew, and we hunted down the culprits without rest," Scrimgeour continued, his eyes travelling to Neville. "One of my only regrets in this life is that I wasn't there to fight alongside them when they needed me most. They both deserved the chance to raise their son, and he deserved the chance to grow up hearing their tales from their own perspectives. May they now find the rest that they deserve, and may we all remember their sacrifice for a better tomorrow. Suis pugna sit tandem transitu laetabantur." What's that mean?

Rufus Scrimgeour then limped towards the caskets, where the other Aurors quickly joined him. Dumbledore was beckoned up to the podium by the service provider, while Neville and Augusta walked up and joined the Aurors.

"Please, let us a share a moment of silent remembrance for Frank and Alice Longbottom as they are laid to rest," Dumbledore said, and people quickly noticed that Fawkes was now flying overhead. "Please stand." Everyone stood up, and Dumbledore himself turned around and faced the caskets.

The Aurors began levitating both the caskets into their respective graves, but right before the caskets disappeared from sight, they began to hover in their spots. Neville walked up and opened his father's empty casket, and he placed his father's wand inside. Ron could see that Neville was trying his hardest to not cry, but unsurprisingly, he was failing. Ron knew that he himself would be no different in Neville's shoes, which made him sympathize with Neville even more. This will not happen to my Family.

Neville then walked over to his mother's casket, and Ron finally noticed that Neville was holding a wooden box in his hands. Neville opened the casket, and then he put the wooden box inside it. After that, he closed his mother's casket and wiped his eyes clear with his sleeves. As Neville rejoined his Gran, the caskets began to sink into the graves. And then, they were both completely out of sight. The Auror's used Magic to lift soil into the graves, while Rufus Scrimgeour himself handed Neville two Auror Uniforms on a white flag with the Aurors Symbol marking it.

Neville wrapped the Uniforms up inside the flag, and he handed it to his teary eyed Gran. Rufus turned to his Aurors at that, who all raised their wands into the air. Crystal white orbs shot out of their wands in perfect unity, and once the orbs had reached a certain height, Rufus tapped his cane against the Earth, which caused the orbs to burst into sparkling dust that rained down on the funeral grounds like the first snows of winter. Dumbledore bowed his head with a saddened look, and everyone followed suit. Rest in peace, Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom.

---

Wednesday 30th September, 1993 (Longbottom Manor – Late Afternoon)

"Alright, all of you stay together," Molly instructed the group, which consisted of all the children here from Hogwarts. "Percy, make sure that no one goes missing."

"Yes, mother," Percy nodded, and then he nodded at the other parents. Molly and the other parents left to mingle at that, most of them heading straight for Neville and Augusta Longbottom.

"That was a beautiful service, wasn't it?" Hermione asked the others, and they all nodded.

"I liked the sparkly dust," Luna hummed. "It felt comforting when it touched my skin." That it did. Was it a variation of the Calming Charm? Or something inspired by it? Anyway… There are a few people here that I want to talk to.

"I'm going to go mingle," Ron said, and then he turned to leave.

"Mum told us to stay together," Ginny spoke up, and Ron turned to face her.

"I'm not going too far, Gin," Ron said, and then he looked to Percy. "We should walk around and speak with people, Percy. It'd be disrespectful if we all just hid ourselves away."

"I agree," Percy said, and the other children blinked at him. However, Percy was too busy eyeing Minister Fudge to pay any real attention to them. "If you all don't want to mingle, or get tired of it, come back to this spot. Alright?"

"Right," Ron nodded, and then he turned around and walked towards Madam Roberts. She was speaking to Tonks about something, and judging by Tonks' serious expression, Madam Roberts was clearly giving her instructions.

"Ronald," Madam Roberts greeted when she saw him, and Ron gave the two witches a smile.

"Good afternoon, Madam Roberts," Ron greeted back, and then he looked to Tonks. "Nymphadora, right?"

"Please, call me Tonks," the black haired witch replied, and Ron gave her a nod.

"Tonks, give Ronald and me a moment please," Madam Roberts said, and Tonks gave her a nod.

"Come find me after, alright?" Tonks said to Ron, and he gave her another nod. She's Sirius' cousin, right? Well, that alone makes her worth getting to know. Tonks left to find her parents, while Ron took her previously occupied spot.

"That was a lovely service, wasn't it?" Ron asked Madam Roberts. "Were those white orbs a variation of the Calming Charm?"

"Indeed," Madam Roberts smirked. "How have you been, Ronald?"

"As well as anyone these days," Ron replied. "And you?"

"Busy," Madam Roberts replied. "I am sorry that our lessons have been put on hold."

"It's alright," Ron gave her a smile. "But I must admit, I'm really excited to restart my training with you. Especially now that you'll leave that baton of yours at home."

"It's never too far from my reach, I assure you," Madam Roberts said, and Ron couldn't tell if she was joking. Knowing her, she'd probably beat my arse right here if need be. "I hear that you are an Eternal Friend of the Longbottom Family."

"I am," Ron nodded. "I saved Neville's life back in my first year."

"The Mountain Troll, yes," Madam Roberts nodded.

"Did you know Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom?" Ron asked.

"I knew Alice better than I did Frank," Madam Roberts replied, and Ron waited for her to go on. "She served as a Medic and Auror alongside me for almost a year. She was a better Medic than she was a Duelist, unlike her husband. Frank's Dueling prowess was well-known by all, especially after he captured Antonin Dolohov near the end of the war."

"He captured Dolohov?" Ron blinked, and Madam Roberts nodded. "The man who killed my uncles…"

"One of the Death-Eaters that killed your uncles, but yes," Madam Roberts nodded. "To think that at the time of Dolohov's capture, I was genuinely angry with Frank Longbottom. He chose to spare that degenerate, you see. I am ashamed to admit that my friendship with Alice was… strained… because of her husband's mercy. They both deserved better." Madam Roberts then noticed something that Ron had completely missed. "I think Mr. Potter is trying to keep his eyes on you." Huh?

"What makes you say that?" Ron asked, making sure to not look in Harry's direction.

"I've noticed him stealing quick looks at us," Madam Roberts replied. "Not to mention that he's just standing at the refreshment table without a plate. Amateur…"

"Why would he be watching me?" Ron asked.

"You tell me, Ronald," Madam Roberts replied. "Go and find Tonks, but keep your eyes on Mr. Potter. If he begins hovering near you again, then that will confirm it."

"And they say that I'm paranoid," Ron smirked.

"It isn't paranoia, it is called experience," Madam Roberts replied, and Ron gave her a parting nod. "Sunday, Ronald. Nine in the morning."

"See you then," Ron said, and then he began looking for Tonks. Harry is watching me? Why? Did I do something suspicious? I mean, I'm always up to something, but I've done nothing today.

"Over here, Ron," Tonks said as she saw him, and he walked over to her. Her mother and father were standing by her side, and Ron's eyes were immediately glued to Andromeda Tonks' face. I've seen her before… Yeah, I saw her in the vision where Malfoy died. She was one of the women helping the children escape. Her, and Narcissa Malfoy. They even look alike. Sisters? Or maybe cousins? "Mum and dad, this is Ronald Weasley."

"A pleasure to meet you," Ron said, and then he held out his gloved hand. Andromeda Tonks smiled at that, and she gave Ron her hand. He kissed her knuckles lightly, and then gave her a polite bow.

"Can I get one of those?" Mr. Tonks chuckled, and Ron put his gloved hand forward again. Why not? The pot-bellied wizard let out a soft laugh, and then gave Ron his hand. Ron kissed his knuckles with a smirk, and then gave him a polite bow as well. "I like him already."

"Husband, please behave," Andromeda said, though she was thoroughly amused herself. "It's an honor to finally meet you, Ronald. May I call you Ronald?"

"Please, call me Ron," Ron replied, and both Mr. and Mrs. Tonks nodded.

"You may call me Andromeda, and this is my husband Edward," Andromeda introduced herself.

"Call me Teddy," Edward said, and Ron gave him a nod. "We've heard a lot about you from Siri, and all of it is nothing but praises."

"Sirius?" Ron asked, the name 'Siri' was rather cute. From now on, I shall only call him Siri. That ought to piss him off, hehe.

"I'm his cousin," Andromeda told him. "Thank you for what you did for him, it means the World to me to have Siri back."

"Please, think nothing of it," Ron said. "I'm very happy that I know Sirius myself. He's a great bloke." Ron's eyes drifted around himself for a second, and he noticed Harry 'talking' to Hermione not too far away. Hermione looks pissed. Is he really fucking following me around? Why? What the hell, Harry?

"So you really resisted over fifty Veelas?" Tonks asked, and her mother tutted her.

"Nymphadora, where are your manners?" Andromeda asked. "Forgive her, Ron… She is a fan of yours."

"I'm not a fan," Tonks lied quickly, her black hair turning crimson.

"She was rather giddy after meeting you at the Ministry a couple of weeks ago," Teddy chuckled, while his daughter gaped at him. "If you could give her an autograph, she'd be truly grateful."

"I see nothing wrong with that," Ron chuckled, and then he looked to Tonks.

"I… Thanks…" Tonks muttered, her hair practically glowing red.

"I can even give you a hug, if you want," Ron smiled. "I remember that you wanted one when I met you at the Ministry."

"Not a fan, she says," Teddy chuckled, while Tonks shot her father a frown.

"Maybe later," Tonks said, giving Ron an embarrassed smile. "Parents, huh? It's like they're trained to embarrass you."

"On that, we agree," Ron nodded. "And yes, I did resist over fifty Veelas."

"Astonishing," Andromeda said in awe, while her daughter practically glowed at his words. "Do you mind telling us how you did it?"

"I kept my eyes down, and just… resisted," Ron replied. "At first, the hardest part was looking away. But when the pain started-"

"The allures became a mental assault," Tonks told her parents, who nodded in understanding.

"Yeah, I just put up with the pain," Ron went on. "Ended up getting a Subconjunctival Hemorrhage because of it as well." Andromeda drew in a sharp breath, while Teddy just blinked at him.

"Why go through that?" Teddy asked.

"I don't like to lose," Ron replied. And at the time, I think I was channeling my anger at the Entity's control over my life. What does Madam Pomfrey always tell me? Oh yeah, I tend to 'displace' my anger quite often. I really need to work on that. Merlin, is it weird that I miss my Mind-Healer?

"That's so awesome," Tonks beamed. "Isn't that awesome?"

"Quite so, love," Andromeda replied. "I hope we'll be seeing more of you from now on, Ron."

"I would like that," Ron admitted. "Any friend of Sirius is a friend of mine. By the way, where is he? I haven't seen him since the service."

"He's taking care of a few things," Andromeda replied, and Ron nodded slowly. What things? "He'll be here shortly. Now, if you'll please excuse us, I see that Madam Bones is close-by. Nymphadora, please introduce us to your boss." I should speak with her as well, but after the Tonks Family.

"Bye, Ron," Tonks waved, and Ron waved back.

"Take care, Tonks," Ron said, and then they parted ways. Ron walked around for a bit, and sure enough, Harry and Hermione were always nearby. Ron spotted Neville along the way, and he wasn't surprised to see that the mourning boy was surrounded by a dozen different adults.

"Mr. Weasley," came a voice from his right, and Ron turned to see Rufus Scrimgeour standing alone near a wall.

"Head Auror, Sir," Ron greeted back, and then he shook the man's hand.

"A firm grip," Rufus nodded in approval, and Ron gave him a pleasant smile. "And very tall for your age. Built, even… Do you train, Mr. Weasley?"

"I do," Ron admitted. "I run every day, practice my Spellwork and Dueling every second day, and even do Circuit Training every third day."

"Are you an aspiring Auror?" Rufus asked, and Ron nodded.

"Hit-Wizard," Ron corrected, he personally wanted to specialize in hunting down Dark Wizards.

"I am glad to hear that," Rufus gave him a thin smile. "Your feats, of course, are well-known to all. I must admit, even I am left impressed. Tell me, how does a thirteen year old achieve something that no wizard in History has ever achieved? What was number again? Fifty Veelas?"

"Just over," Ron replied. "As for how I achieved it… Maybe I just have a lot of willpower." And an angry God hiding in my head.

"Willpower?" Rufus cocked an eyebrow.

"The pain gave me a Subconjunctival Hemorrhage, Sir," Ron replied. "I even bit open the inside of my mouth in order to keep my focus."

"I see," Rufus said slowly, his yellow eyes fixed on Ron's. His eyes look like Madam Hooch's. "Once again, you impress me. I look forward to seeing your application for the Auror's Academy, Mr. Weasley."

"And I look forward to sending it," Ron said, and then he looked around once again. For fuck's sake, they're both right there! They're not even trying to be subtle!

"A word of advice before we part ways, Mr. Weasley," Rufus said suddenly, his expression unreadable. "If you are worried that someone is following you, it's often wise to pretend like you are ignorant."

"Following me?" Ron blinked. He knows?

"My eyes miss nothing," Rufus whispered rather coldly. "And I will be keeping an eye on you, Mr. Weasley. You would do well to stay within the confines of the Law. No more appearances near active crimes scenes, understand?" Crime scenes? Kingsley Shacklebolt must've told him about me being in Diagon Alley without supervision.

"I will make sure to do that," Ron said, and then he put his hand forward for a shake. Rufus obliged, and the two wizards shook hands before Ron began making his way towards Amelia Bones. His shadows followed after him, and Ron couldn't help but notice that Hermione was looking more and more sour.

"Madam Bones," Ron greeted the woman, and she turned around to face him. Susan walked over from behind her, a light smile on her face.

"Mr. Weasley," Madam Bones greeted back. "It's been a while. I was at Lord Black's trail, in case you don't remember."

"I do," Ron assured her, and then he put his hand forward. She, of course, knew the customs of the Old Families, and so she gave him her hand. He gave her knuckles a quick kiss before bowing respectfully, and she gave him a deep nod in return.

"I had not realized that the Weasley Family practiced the Old Ways," Madam Bones said.

"Mum and dad know a bit about them, but only I practice them outright," Ron told her.

"Something that you picked up in Slytherin, no doubt," Madam Bones said.

"Auntie!" Susan whispered hotly.

"I meant no offence by it, Susan," Madam Bones told her niece, and then she looked to Ron. Look at that jaw. I could cut a fucking diamond on it. It's marvelous! "Did you take offence by my observation, Mr. Weasley?"

"None at all," Ron admitted, his skin had definitely thickened over the last two years. "And you are, of course, right. My friends sort of roped me into it."

"Just don't let them rope you into something more… outdated," Madam Bones said, and Ron felt a little annoyed at that. Calm. She's probably just not used to talking to Slytherins. Or maybe she is. That backhanded comment was worthy of Lady Greengrass.

"Auntie, stop it!" Susan whispered hotly again. "Ron is a perfect gentleman at school. Remember what I've told you about his study group? He includes everyone."

"Yes, I remember," Madam Bones said. "Though I do have trouble believing it without any proof. Things were very different when I attended Hogwarts myself." Yes, we've come far since the fifteenth century.

"I'll be sure to send you a photo then," Ron 'smiled' at her, and she smirked slightly. "One of our members, Colin Creevey, always has a camera handy." Susan giggled at that, and she secretly hoped that Ron would follow through with that promise.

"Some steel in you, I can respect that," Madam Bones gave him a nod. "I spoke with your brother Percy just a few minutes ago. He has high ambitions for a Gryffindor. Tell me, why was he not sorted into Slytherin?" Because he refused the Hat's offer. He didn't want to be rejected any further by his siblings. "Why were you sorted into Slytherin instead?"

"My ambitions surpass a job at the Ministry," Ron replied, and Madam Bones cocked an eyebrow. "Although I do wish to become a Hit-Wizard, for a time."

"Ron's the only third year placed in Rank A for the Grand Dueling Tournament," Susan added, and Madam Bones' lips twitched upwards for a moment. "He can already use Wandless Magic."

"Wandless Magic? At thirteen?" Madam Bones asked, and for some reason, her surprise pleased Ron. I broke through that tough act, didn't I?

"It's true," Susan gave Ron a wink, and he shot her a smile. She's enjoying seeing her aunt like this, isn't she?

"A small demonstration, perhaps?" Madam Bones asked, and Ron nodded. Time to impress the Future Minister for Magic. Ron removed his serpent ring, and then he hid his left hand in front of his chest. Don't want Harry and Hermione to see this.

"Incendio," Ron chanted in a calm voice, and his hand began to glow orange. Madam Bones and Susan both went wide-eyed, and Ron quickly turned off the Spell.

"Merlin's beard…" Madam Bones muttered, and then she cleared her throat. "A Prodigy indeed, Mr. Weasley. Truly fascinating. I look forward to receiving your application one day."

"That was so amazing, Ron," Susan beamed, but then she quickly fixed her face when she remembered where they were.

"Thank you, Susan," Ron said. "May I borrow your niece for a moment, Madam Bones?"

"Certainly," Madam Bones agreed, while Susan just blinked at him. Need to convince her to keep this to herself. Shouldn't be too hard, she seems like an agreeable sort of person. "Susan, I will be with your mother and father. It was a pleasure to speak with you, Mr. Weasley."

"Please, call me Ron," Ron smiled his best smile. "We'll be working together one day, after all." And much sooner than you think.

"Very well, Ron," Madam Bones gave him a parting nod, and then she left to find her brother and his wife.

"Are you hungry?" Ron asked Susan, who blushed slightly.

"I could eat," Susan smiled weakly.

---

Harry Potter's POV

Wednesday 30th September, 1993 (Longbottom Manor – Late Afternoon)

Following Ron so far was… uneventful. Harry wanted to try and find a fault with Ron socializing with important figureheads, but in the end, he just couldn't bring himself to do that. He needed actual proof, not a list of people that Ron was currently socializing with. There was the fact that Ron had surprised Susan and her aunt for a moment, but neither Harry nor Hermione had seen what Ron had done. And speaking of Hermione, his bushy haired friend was starting to get snappy.

"I'm done with this," Hermione suddenly bit out, and Harry blinked at her. "He's just talking to people, like we should be. If you want to keep stalking him, then you go right ahead."

"Hermione, I need an extra pair of eyes," Harry pleaded. Why is she being like this? She was really upset with him the last time I saw her. "Hermione, what happened between you two during the Break?"

"I made the decision to just move on with my life," Hermione replied coldly. "It's time you did the same, Harry. Ron is only as important as we believe him to be, but the truth is that he's just another student at Hogwarts. What you're doing right now… It's just like last year… Didn't you learn anything from that mess?"

"This is different," Harry frowned at her, he had indeed learned. He had learned that Ron was a violent sociopath who had no problem with beating people half to death. "And the last time I saw you, you were acting quite unhappy with him. So don't pretend like you have a leg to stand on."

"I apologized to him, and he apologized to me," Hermione grit out, her fists clenching. "Grow up, Harry." With that, Hermione turned around and left. Grow up? How about you grow a spine! Harry then looked towards Ron, only to realize that Ron was gone. Where did he go? Harry looked around, and he spotted Susan Bones heading towards her Family. Harry quickly made his way towards her, and once he reached her, he tapped her shoulder.

"Oh, hello," Susan smiled at him.

"Hi, Susan," Harry greeted her back. "I couldn't help but notice that Ron did something that shocked you and your aunt. Mind telling me what that was?" Susan blinked at him, and her smile faltered for a second.

"He just showed us his serpent ring," Susan replied, and Harry slowly nodded. "Have you seen it?"

"I have," Harry replied, and he didn't particularly like it.

"It's no secret that his Family isn't exactly wealthy, but that ring has a sizable emerald in it," Susan went on. "Must've cost him a small fortune at least." He did show Madam Bones his left hand, which is the hand that he wears it on.

"Did you see where he went? I've been trying to get a hold of him, you see," Harry said.

"He went to the loo," Susan replied, and Harry gave her a grateful nod.

"I'll see you around, Susan," Harry said, and then he made his way towards the closest loo. Once Harry entered the loo, he found himself staring at Remus hunched over a sink. Harry blinked at the sight of Remus cleaning out his mouth with water, and he could smell traces of vomit.

"Remus?" Harry called, and Remus shot him a tired look.

"Hello, Harry," Remus sighed out, he didn't want to be seen like this. "You've caught me at a bad time, I'm afraid."

"Are you alright?" Harry asked as he quickly walked up to Remus. "Are you sick? Should I go and find someone for you? I think I saw Madam Pomfrey in the Living Room." All thoughts of Ron had disappeared from his mind, and Harry found himself rubbing Remus' back before he knew it. Did he eat something bad? If so, I should warn people to stay away from it.

"There is no need for that, Harry," Remus managed a weak smile, but then he suddenly winced. Harry's heart clenched because of that, and he released a weak gasp.

"Remus, you're in pain," Harry pointed out. "That's it, I'm getting Madam Pomfrey."

"Harry, I'm alright," Remus sighed out. "Please, just don't tell anyone… I ate something bad last night, and it's just giving me a stomachache." He's lying.

"The food at Hogwarts is always freshly prepared," Harry countered. "Remus, please let me get Madam Pomfrey. She'll fix you up in a second."

"Actually, I think I'll head back to Hogwarts…" Remus smiled weakly. "You need to be here for Neville, alright? Don't worry about me." Remus stood up to his full height at that, but then he hunched over a little. "Help me to a fireplace…"

"Of course," Harry said as he quickly put Remus' left arm over his shoulders. "The closest fireplace is only a couple of minutes away." They both made their way towards the exit, but when Harry tried to open the bathroom door, it didn't budge. What the…?

"Push it," Remus said, but when Harry tried that, nothing happened.

"It's locked…" Harry muttered, and then he tried again. And again. And again. "Someone locked us in here!"

"Step aside, Harry," Remus said as he took out his wand, and then he aimed it at the lock. "Alohomora." Remus then tried to open the door, but it didn't budge. "Odd… This isn't an ordinary lock… It's been sealed with Magic…" Magic? Wait… Susan sent me here, and Ron was just talking to her. Did they set me up?

"It was Ron," Harry hissed angrily, and Remus gave him a confused look.

"Ron? Why would he do something like this?" Remus asked slowly.

"Because he's sneaky git!" Harry fumed, and Remus blinked at him.

"Harry… Don't be absurd…" Remus shook his head, something that made Harry's blood boil. Remus then began muttered incantations under his breath, and after a few moments, he let out a tired sigh. "Someone extremely skilled put up this Sealing Charm… Sit down, Harry. This may take a few minutes."

"Sealing Charm?" Harry asked, he was going to kill Ron for this. Remus is sick! He needs to go home and rest! "Can you open it?"

"Trust me," Remus smirked a little. "This is child's play compared to what I learned back in Hogwarts. Sirius, your father, and I once sealed the Hufflepuffs in the Kitchens, and it took Dumbledore himself to free them. We never did try that again though… McGonagall nearly murdered us."

---

Ronald Weasley's POV

Wednesday 30th September, 1993 (Longbottom Manor – Late Afternoon)

"Thanks again for this," Ron smiled at Madam Roberts. "You were right, I think that Harry was trying to spy on me." Though why he was doing it is beyond me.

"Are you sure that no one else is in the restroom?" Madam Roberts asked, and Ron nodded. No clue, but I don't really care either way. "Well, this ought to teach Mr. Potter a lesson in proper behavior. Spying on someone during a Funeral Gathering… Shameless boy. I expected more from the Boy-Who-Lived." More like the Bitch-That-Lived.

"Did you put a Silencing Charm on the door at the end?" Ron asked, and she gave him a nod. "Brilliant."

"I'm glad you think so," Madam Roberts said, her face stony as always. "Come, we'd best leave before someone sees us." They began heading back for the Living Room at that, and Ron couldn't help but smile at her. "Stop smiling. Learn to control your emotions."

"Discipline my mind?" Ron asked, and she gave him a curt nod. I should set her up with Snape. Ha, what a pairing. "Truth be told, I wasn't sure that you'd help me. You don't exactly come across as a prankster, you know."

"This was not a 'prank'," Madam Roberts shot him a frown. "He was spying on my pupil, and I intervened. Nothing more. Now if you will excuse me, I need to make sure that Tonks doesn't trip over Augusta's best china." With that, she turned into the crowd and disappeared. Ron simply sniggered to himself, he was rather happy with himself right now. Setting him up was far too easy. Now I can find mum and dad. Ugh… This is going to be horrible.

Ron headed back into the Living Room, his eyes peeled for red hair. He spotted Percy talking to Minister Fudge rather excitedly, while the Minister seemed to be listening intently. As Ron made his way further into the room, he noticed that a tall man with neatly parted grey hair and a narrow toothbrush moustache was speaking with Neville and Lady Longbottom. I've seen him before, haven't I? Yeah, he's in a lot of photos taken during the Great War. That's Barty Crouch Snr, that is. Ron felt the urge to go and introduce himself to the man behind the Kill Order, but when he spotted his parents, he decided to wait. I need to talk to them before someone lets Harry out of his cage. I don't need him to overhear anything about Malfoy.

"Mum… Dad… Can I talk to you?" Ron asked as soon as he approached them, and they turned their attention to him immediately.

"Is everything alright, Ronnie?" Molly asked, and then she planted her palm on his forehead.

"Mum, I'm not sick," Ron tried to move his head back. "I just need to talk to you both in private."

"Of course, son," Arthur nodded, and then he gestured Ron to follow him. Ron and his parents made their way out of the Living Room, and Arthur led them further into the Manor. Once they were in a deserted Hallway, Arthur stopped and turned to face his son. "Now, what's happened? You look tense, son."

"Is everything alright at school?" Molly asked, and Ron drew in a deep breath. Fuck me, here I go.

"Something's happened… And I feel like I really need to tell you both about it," Ron started, he wished that Daphne was here right now. I could have 'presented' her to them in order to sweeten them up.

"We know about the Boggart, love," Molly said gently, a motherly smile on her face. Huh? Damn, Remus must've owled them.

"So you truly know Occlumency then?" Arthur asked, he somehow sounded proud and shocked at the same time. What? Oh, for fuck's sake. Entity, do you see what you've done? Now I have to lie to them even more.

"I've been delving into it, yes," Ron said, at least that was true. Molly and Arthur exchanged quick looks, and then they looked at Ron expectantly.

"Occlumency at thirteen, eh?" Arthur said. "That's quite the goal that you've set for yourself."

"I felt it necessary," Ron responded.

"Why?" Molly asked. "I don't mean to nag… But shouldn't you focus on your actual schoolwork instead? And with your work and business, don't you think that you're putting too much stress onto yourself? I just don't want to see you get hurt." Time to use Snape's words to my advantage. Merlin, when did I get so good at lying?

"It helps me manage my anger," Ron started, and his parents blinked at him. "It really does, trust me… But I mostly practice it because of what happened to me at the end of first year… You know, the Dark Lord's assault…" His parents paled at the mention of the Dark Lord, how were they going to tell their children about his return?

"Did You-Know-Who show you… visions?" Arthur asked, and Ron hid his surprise. "When he attacked you, that is." Visions? As in what Snape was talking about? Sure, let's use that. I need to make them sympathetic before I bring up Malfoy.

"He… He showed me things, yes…" Ron swallowed thickly, and Molly gasped into her hands. "I saw Fred die… My friend Pansy… Harry, Neville, and Hermione… I even saw my own death."

"Oh, Ron!" Molly cried, and then she pulled him into a tight hug. Ron, however, was busy recounting his actual visions. He didn't even need to put on an act of horror when he thought of those because they genuinely terrified him. This is the closest that I've ever come to telling my parents the truth about myself…

"I came across Occlumency in my second year," Ron lied, his body relaxing in his mother's embrace. "I just saw it in a book at the Library, but from then on, I began looking into it."

"Why didn't you tell us about these visions?" Arthur asked, his right hand squeezing Ron's shoulder.

"I don't like to think about them," Ron replied. "And I certainly never want to discuss them. Ever."

"Alright," Arthur nodded weakly. "Just… Just make sure that Pomfrey knows about them, alright? She needs to know about this."

"Sure, dad," Ron sighed out, while his mother kept squeezing him. "Anyway, like I was saying… Something has happened at school that you two should know about."

"It's not the Occlumency thing?" Arthur asked, and Ron drew in a deep breath. Enough about with the Occlumency thing.

"No, it isn't," Ron started, and his mother finally let go of him. "Do you remember my friend Blaise?"

"Of course," they said together.

"Well, he's gotten himself into some trouble," Ron continued, and his parents exchanged looks. "Actually, he himself didn't get into trouble. Someone else got him into trouble." Shite, where do I even start? "Alright, just hear me out completely."

"When Blaise was younger, he found himself owing Draco Malfoy a debt," Ron began, and when his parents went to say something, he stopped them by pressing on. "Now this was a pretty serious debt, and Blaise is too stubborn to not pay it back. He's sort of really honorable when his character is put into question… Now, over the course of this year so far, Draco Malfoy has found himself ostracized by everyone in Slytherin House. This happened mostly because he kept putting his petty vendettas over the House's betterment."

"Ron, what does this have to do with you?" Arthur asked in a serious tone.

"I'm getting there," Ron replied. "Since Malfoy was being shunned by everyone, a certain bully by the name of Marcus Flint started targeting him. Flint's gang beat Malfoy daily, they humiliated him at every opportunity, and all of that made him rather desperate. In his desperation, he called in his chit with Blaise."

"Your friend is now being targeted as well?" Molly asked, she didn't like the sound of children being beaten whatsoever. "Where are the teachers in all of this?"

"Slytherins keep the House's inner politics to themselves," Ron told them. "The rest of the school doesn't really understand us, nor do they ever try to either. Anyway, Malfoy called in his chit, and as a result, Blaise was forced into acting as his 'friend'. I found out what was happening, and for Blaise's sake, I decided to intervene. Malfoy is now, in a way, a part of our group." Molly and Arthur just stared at him, and judging by their looks, he could see that they were confused.

"I added Malfoy into the group in order to keep Blaise safe from Flint's gang," Ron clarified. "Blaise didn't want the rest of us to get caught up with Malfoy's problems, so he planned to leave the group in order to repay his debt by himself. When I learned what Blaise was planning, I had to intervene. I couldn't let him go out there alone, but the only way to insure Blaise's safety, and satisfy his debt to Malfoy, was to add Malfoy into the group. It's sort of like witness protection… He's not our friend, we don't even speak to him, but I'm keeping Flint's gang away from him."

"You're putting yourself in a bully's way?" Molly blinked, and Ron nodded weakly.

"Sort of-"

"Not 'sort of', you are," Molly scolded, and then she shot a quick look at her husband. "Arthur… Say something here."

"You should tell the Professors, Ron," his father advised. "Dumbledore is here today, let's go speak with him right now." Shite! I promised one of the damn Professors that I'd protect his Godson.

"We can't do that," Ron told them. "Like I said, we Slytherins keep our inner House problems to ourselves. It's just how things work, and if I break that unspoken rule, I'll make a lot enemies."

"How old is this Flint boy?" Arthur asked.

"A seventh year," Ron replied, and his parents frowned at him.

"Ronald, you will tell the Professors about this at once," Molly ordered, and Ron blinked at her. And then he frowned back.

"Are you given me orders?" Ron asked coldly, but then he drew in another deep breath. You promised Daphne, Ron. Don't lose your temper. It's alright. "Look… There is no danger here because I'm protected in the House."

"Protected?" Arthur blinked.

"The older students respect me, and the younger ones revere me," Ron replied truthfully. "Malfoy knows this, which is why he agreed to accept my protection."

"Your protection?" Molly asked. "Ronald, you are not the leader of some… some gang of criminals!" Shite, I need to pick better words.

"Molly, let me speak to him," Arthur said, he sounded much calmer than his fiery-tempered mother. "Ron… You're doing this for your friend, right?"

"I am," Ron nodded quickly.

"Then tell the Professors," Arthur advised, and Ron rubbed his forehead.

"I told you that I can't," Ron repeated. "If I do, Flint's gang will be the least of my worries. I am asking you to trust me here. I know what I'm doing. Malfoy is there only for his own benefit, and he knows that he can't spread his filth near me because I'll throw him to Flint's gang if he does."

"He's a Malfoy, Ron," Arthur sighed out. "He's the product of centuries' worth of Pure-Blood Supremacy propaganda."

"He's also a third year who's getting beaten around school by a seventh year," Ron added. "Mum… Dad… My friend's safety is in question, and there is no way in hell that I'm not helping him out."

"Why not ask some of the older students to help Malfoy then?" Molly asked, she didn't like the sound of Ron spending time with a Malfoy. Especially now that the Dark Lord had returned. "Why do you have to step in?"

"Because Malfoy's being ostracized," Ron repeated. "No one wants to help him, but since Blaise is being forced into it, I've decided to step in for Blaise's sake."

"Ron, there are certain things that are happening right now," Arthur started, but Molly quickly shushed him.

"Arthur… Don't…" Molly whispered, and Ron eyed them both. Do they mean the Dark Lord's return? So Dumbledore really did invite them on Friday.

"Please keep your distance from Lucius Malfoy's son," Arthur pleaded.

"What about Blaise?" Ron asked, and Arthur sighed loudly.

"Son, tell the Professors," Arthur advised once again. "Things are a little more complicated right now than Slytherin's 'inner politics'."

"You want me to betray my House's trust, and in doing so, make all of my friends targets?" Ron asked, and Arthur shook his head.

"Ron… Listen to me," Arthur whispered, while Molly simply massaged her temples. "Lucius Malfoy has connections to the Dark Lord, and one day, his son is bound to follow in his footsteps. By being near him, you'll draw a lot of negative attention onto yourself. Attention from the Dark Lord's followers… Please, I'm begging you… Don't associate with Draco Malfoy."

"I get what you're saying, I truly do," Ron said, and he meant it. "But Blaise needs my help here, and I don't leave my friends behind. If I go to the Professors, I'll lose all the respect that I've built up in the last two years. Please, just trust me here. I won't let Malfoy 'influence' me, nor will I get mixed up with the Death-Eaters."

"Don't say their name here," Molly said quickly. "Ron, we're at a funeral."

"Sorry… Sorry…" Ron quickly apologized. "My friend needs my help, dad. I can't just leave him to fend for himself, can I? You raised me better than that." C'mon guilt trip… Work for me! Arthur drew in a deep breath as he pinched the bridge of his nose, while Molly simply shook her head.

"Why don't you convince Blaise to not honor his debt?" Molly asked, and Ron gaped at her. "I'm sorry, but… But you're my son. I don't want you associating with the Malfoys. Period."

"First of all, Blaise is willing to suffer alone if it means that his debt will be repaid," Ron started. "Second, I am capable of thinking for myself. Just because Malfoy will be sitting near me doesn't mean that I'll start thinking like him. Please, just give me a little credit here. I've managed two years within Slytherin without ever once turning my back on our Family's values. Mum and dad… I need you on my side here. Just this once… Please. When my siblings find out that I'm 'associating' with Malfoy, they're going to turn on me. For once, can I not be the person who has to constantly fight to prove his loyalty?"

"Ron, that's never the case," Molly sighed, but when she reached to touch his cheek, he stepped back.

"It's always the case," Ron said firmly, making both of his parents blink. "I'm always the person who gets shafted…"

"Ron-"

"It's true," Ron went on. "In full honesty, helping Malfoy is going to damage my reputation with everyone. My friends, my House-mates, my study group, the Gryffindors, and even my siblings. But I'm still doing it because I can't let Blaise go down like this. Just please… Please take my side for once. Don't make me feel…" he trailed off.

"Make you feel like what?" Arthur asked, but he already knew what his son was about to say.

"Don't make me feel like I'm not wanted… Again…" Ron said, and Molly quickly pulled him into a bone crushing hug. I think I just heard my spine shatter.

"Of course you're wanted, Ron," Molly assured him, while Arthur just looked down at his feet.

Ron knew that even a year ago, just saying that would've made him teary eyed. But now? Now he honestly couldn't bring himself to feel sad about it. He was just used to it now. He was used to being at odds with everyone. And deep down, he knew that it was because none of them could really understand him. As Dumbledore had said, Ron didn't exactly live 'in the moment'. Whereas his parents were concerned about Malfoy's influence on Ron, Ron was more concerned with Malfoy not becoming the man that he had seen in his vision.

"This is happening," Ron told his parents, why was he even bothering with getting their permission? "Blaise needs me, and that's all that matters to me."

"Son-"

"When Percy, the twins, and Ginny find out about this," Ron went on. "They'll be furious… Percy will try his best to understand my decision, but he lacks the social skills needed to fully understand why I'm doing this. The twins and Ginny will send you angry letters detailing my 'crimes', and they will turn cold towards me. I've seen this happen time and time again, and quite frankly, I'm past caring. Just wait and see. You'll get those angry letters very soon."

With that, Ron gently pulled himself away from his mother, and then he left for the Living Room. They'll all understand one day. When this is all over, I'll have proven myself to all of them. They'll see that I've always been loyal to our Family. As Ron made his way into the Living Room, he was quickly pulled aside by Ginny and Hermione.

"Where have you been, Ron?" Ginny asked, while Hermione just stared at him.

"I was with mum and dad," Ron replied, and then he pointed towards them. Arthur and Molly were quietly entering the Living Room, their expressions slightly stunned. "Why? Did I miss something?"

"Did you happen to go to the loo before that?" Hermione asked, she knew that Ron had nothing to do with Harry's imprisonment. Her bespectacled friend was clearly grasping at straws.

"I was going to, but then mum and dad spotted me," Ron lied, he had thought this through. So Harry got out, eh? Shame.

"What did they want?" Ginny asked, so Hermione was right. It must've been the twins that locked Harry away in the restroom.

"The whole Boggart thing…" Ron sighed out, and both girls nodded. "They wanted some answers, that's all. What's this about the loo?"

"Fred and George locked Harry in the loo," Ginny shook her head.

"They're pulling pranks?" Ron feigned anger. "Here? Today?"

"Don't tell mum and dad," Ginny said quickly. "Ron, they'll be furious."

"Where are the twins now?" Ron kept up his act.

"Percy's watching them…" Ginny pointed out, and Ron looked to find the twins glaring at Percy. "I had to beg Percy to not tattle on the twins. Mum and dad don't need this right now."

"Fine…" Ron frowned a little, and Ginny gave him an approving nod. "And where is Harry?" Yes, where is that twat?

"Minister Fudge dragged him away for a chat," Hermione replied, and then she bit her bottom lip. "Actually… He was looking for you as well… He wanted to meet Slytherin's Prodigy…" I think I'll pass. I'd rather find Madam Bones again. Or maybe Crouch Snr.

"Is Neville still with his Gran?" Ron asked, and the girls nodded.

"I don't think that he wants to leave her side," Hermione replied.

"That's fair enough," Ron nodded. "And Sirius still isn't here?"

"No," Ginny shook her head. "I saw Remus leave a few minutes before you got back. He got locked away by the twins as well." Huh? Oh, shite. Guess I'll have to take this secret to my grave.

"Those two…" Ron shook his head. "Utter menaces…" I think I'll go eat something. And then actually go to the loo. I really need to take my second dose of medicine.

---

Wednesday 30th September, 1993 (The Boys' Dorms – Late Evening)

The rest of the Gathering had gone rather slowly for Ron, mostly because both Madam Bones and Barty Crouch Snr had left during Ron's talk with his parents. And just as expected, his parents were quite uneasy with Ron's decision to include Malfoy into his group. All Ron could really hope for was that when the twins and Ginny turned on him, his parents wouldn't make him feel even more excluded than he already did.

He knew that he was being pathetically mopey about his standing within the Family, but he just couldn't help it. And what was so wrong with wanting to be respected by one's own Family? To not have to fight constantly prove one's loyalty to said Family? And the worst part was that Ron himself couldn't tell them why he was so different. Firstly, he had promised Dumbledore and Snape that he'd keep his powers to himself. Secondly, and more importantly, he didn't want the Entity to murder him for damaging the Cycle. And lastly, he really didn't want to deal with the fallout of his confessions. Especially not now.

As he neared his room, he couldn't help but feel utterly spent. He didn't want to sit around in a room where no one dared talk, nor did he want to see Malfoy's face right now. Malfoy… Damn that bastard for ever being born. Harry was clearly turning on Ron again, and after he learned of Ron's latest decision, he was bound to turn Hermione and Neville against him. Ron had not missed Harry's angry frowns during the end of the Gathering, the Boy-Who-Lived was certain that it was Ron who had locked him away. At least he won't be back until Saturday, same as Neville.

"I'm back," Ron drawled as he entered his room, but he stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of the Triumvirate. Carey was leaning against Theo's bedpost, Samantha was sitting in Blaise's chair, and Clara was lying down in Ron's bed. Fuck me. Ron slowly shut the door behind himself, his eyes fixed on Carey's.

"Four beds," Carey said icily. "Four beds, Ronald. When did you plan to inform us that you went against our will?" So it's like that, huh?

"I needed time to get my own affairs in order," Ron replied, his eyes darting between each of them. Samantha was watching him with no emotion on her face, while Clara looked quite disappointed. And Carey… She held herself up with a cold fury. "How did you find out?"

"Flint's been searching for Malfoy," Samantha replied. "We heard word of his… hunt…"

"And since you too had disappeared, it wasn't hard to figure out," Clara finished. "Ron… How could you not tell us?"

"I didn't want word to get out before I spoke with my parents," Ron replied calmly. "The Malfoys and Weasleys have been enemies for a long time. I needed to tell them about this myself. So… Where are Theo, Blaise, and Malfoy?"

"In the girls' room," Clara replied, and then she slid out of Ron's bed. "We may have sealed them inside." What?

"We didn't want word to get out," Carey said coldly. "We gave you our trust, Ronald. And this is how you repay us? You undermine our authority by helping an outcast?"

"Technically, he isn't an outcast," Ron replied, and Carey frowned at him. "He's just a prick that no one likes. As for my reasons-"

"Your friends told us already," Samantha cut in, and Ron nodded slowly.

"So you know that I had my reasons," Ron said.

"You didn't think to come to us with this?" Carey asked.

"I did, but then Malfoy told me about what you did to him," Ron replied, and the Triumvirate exchanged quick looks. "He went to you for help, and you handed him over to Flint's gang. You are partly to blame for his stunt with Blaise…"

"Are we?" Samantha asked as she slowly stood up.

"I asked you to help him as well," Ron reminded them. "I am in this situation because you chose to ostracize him further simply because you dislike him. I mean, you could've turned him into an ally by protecting him. But instead, you threw him out into the cold. And then he showed up at my door with his wand pressed against Blaise's temple."

"Don't be so dramatic," Clara rolled her eyes, and Ron felt his temper flare.

"How can we trust you when you decide to keep things from us?" Carey asked him. Trust me? Again, I have to prove my fucking loyalty.

"And how can I trust you when you have never done a damn thing for me?" Ron asked back, and the girls blinked at him.

"We've given you power-" Carey started, but Ron simply scoffed.

"I gave myself power," Ron told them bluntly. "Sure, you made the plans and I went along with them, but at the end of the day, I help you. Not the other way around. Don't question my loyalty when I'm in this situation because you three chose to be petty over intelligent."

"Be careful, Weasley," Samantha warned him, and Ron just stared at her.

"You are setting a fire within this House," Carey told him. "Flint is not going to care about who you are, he'll never back off from dominating Malfoy. And he's smart enough to know that if he backs off because a third year, he'll lose his entire reputation. You are-"

"Protecting my friend," Ron cut in. "Would you three leave each other out to dry?" The girls blinked at that, and Ron nodded to himself. "Yeah… You wouldn't. You love each other too much. Well, I love Blaise. He is my friend. When I had no one in this House, he took me under his wing. He saved me from being what Malfoy is today. I'm not abandoning him. And if that means that I have to fight this entire bloody House, then that's what I'll do." And trust me, I'll win. I always win.

"We're not going to take sides in this, you do understand that right?" Clara asked him. "If we stand by you, the seventh years will be angered. Not to mention our own Quidditch Team. And you can't go around telling people about Slytherin's inner workings either."

"As long as you don't take Flint's side, I can live with that," Ron said, and the Triumvirate gave him curt nods.

"Good luck then," Carey shook her head, and then they all walked past him and left the room. The moment the door closed behind them, Ron's shoulders sagged. Great. Just great… If they reacted this way, then how are my siblings going to react? Or my study group? Why did Malfoy have to be such a cunt to everyone at this school?

Ron walked over to his bed, and he dropped down on it unceremoniously. He could smell Clara's perfume on it, which only served to tire him out even more. I guess she won't be giving me those lessons after all. He just lay there for a bit, until eventually, the door to his room opened once again. Ron's friends, and Malfoy, entered the room with annoyed looks.

"I can't believe they locked us away like children," Theo spat out.

"I don't recall you resisting when they piled us into the room," Millie reminded him, but Theo merely scoffed.

"Ron?" came Tracey's voice, and Ron sat up.

"Hello," Ron greeted them.

"You're finally back," Daphne managed a weak smile. "How was the funeral?"

"Grim," Ron replied.

"And your parents?" Daphne asked as she sat down by his side, while the others took their usual spots.

"Not pleased…" Ron replied, and then he rubbed his face. "I don't actually know where they stand on this, but I do know that they don't want me associating with Malfoy."

"The feeling is mutual, Weasley," came Malfoy's voice, but Ron just ignored it. Too tired to bother with that shite.

"As for the Triumvirate," Ron went on. "I think I just lost their respect… They believe that I went behind their backs, which in essence, I did. They won't be supporting us when Flint comes looking for his favorite bitch."

"That would be you, Malfoy," Tracey pointed out, and Malfoy rolled his eyes.

"As long as they don't support Flint, we can make do," Theo sighed out.

"So… We can't eat in the Great Hall?" Pansy asked slowly, and Ron looked to her. He noticed that all of his friends really didn't want to eat in this room again, but he just wanted one more night of peace with his siblings.

"Tomorrow morning, Pansy," Ron promised, and she nodded weakly. "I just can't handle my siblings tonight. Daph, can you wake me up for dinner?"

"Sure, Ron," Daphne said, and then she stood up. Ron noticed that all of her nails were now covered with 'Starry Day', and he shot them a weak smile.

"Nice nails," Ron said, and Daphne blinked at him. And then, she gave him a smile.

"Thanks, Ron."

---

Thursday 1st October, 1993 (The Great Hall – End of Breakfast)

There were too many eyes on their group, and most of them were from Slytherin itself. Ron's first years seemed to be genuinely confused, especially Tori. The second years made sure to look away whenever Millie turned her head. The older students, especially Flint's gang, were just staring at Ron and Malfoy. As for the other Houses, most of them were simply wondering why Malfoy was sitting in-between Ron and Blaise.

Ron had also noticed his siblings, and Hermione, shooting confused glares in his direction. It hadn't taken long for some of the more righteous Gryffindors to start staring either, especially Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan. Ron knew that Malfoy had specifically targeted Thomas in the past because he was a Muggle-Born, which meant that all of Thomas' friends were beginning to get riled up as well. As soon as the bell rings, we're legging it towards the common room.

"I get that I'm handsome… But all this staring a little too much," Theo whispered, and everyone blinked at him. "Just trying to ease the tension…"

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," Pansy whispered.

"We can't spend the rest of our schooling years in the boys' room," Millie countered. "Keep your head up, Pansy. Don't let them see a shred of weakness."

"Okay…" Pansy nodded weakly, and then she straightened her back like Millie.

"We're definitely getting cornered by my siblings," Ron told them. "When that happens, I'll ask them to speak to me in the Courtyard. You lot can then hover in the background somewhere, but don't go too far. I want to keep my eyes on you."

"What are you going to tell them?" Tracey asked. "I reckon you should tell them everything. Theo's idea about playing the sympathy card could really help you out here."

"You can tell them about my debt," Blaise volunteered, and Ron realized that he hadn't heard Blaise speak in a while. "Everything about it…"

"Even about your mother?" Ron asked, and Blaise's head bowed a little.

"Yes," Blaise whispered, his eyes returning to his plate. He doesn't feel comfortable with that, does he? Ron looked towards Daphne, who shook her head in a subtle manner. She's right. I can't embarrass him for my sake.

"Just put it all on me," Malfoy said suddenly, and everyone eyed him with surprise. "What? They already hate me, right? Why are you all prancing around the topic like headless chickens? I could hardly care for their opinions of me, so use that. Tell them that I used an old debt to get Blaise on my side, and that you 'heroically' stepped in to 'help' your friend."

"Don't make it sound like it happened any differently," Tracey hissed, and Malfoy rolled his eyes. "You put us all in this position."

"I'm looking out for myself, just as all of you did back in first year," Malfoy shrugged, and the girls glared at him.

"Um… guys…" Theo started, his eyes fixed on an approaching Ginny. "We have a problem heading our way." Everyone looked towards Ginny, and Ron drew in a deep breath when he saw that she was glaring at him. Here we go. "Don't bring up Flint, alright? The Triumvirate will fuck us up if we do that." Merlin, how am I supposed to play the sympathy card then?!

"Ron," Ginny hissed, her eyes darting towards an amused Malfoy. "What is this?"

"Breakfast," Malfoy replied, and Ron kicked his shin under the table.

"Ginny, let's go outside-" Ron started, but she quickly cut him off.

"You're friends with him now?!" Ginny yelled, and everyone in the Great Hall went silent. Ron quickly looked around to notice that everyone was staring at them, which only served to embarrass Ron and his friends. Ron quickly got out of his seat, and his friends and Malfoy followed suit.

"Outside, now," Ron said, and then he began making his way towards the Courtyard. Eyes followed them all the way, and Ron spotted Hermione and his brothers quickly following after them.

"You're unbelievable, Ron," Ginny hissed from his side. "You… You just can't help but spit on everything that our parents raised us to believe, can you?" Ron had to fight to hide his hurt, but Ginny wasn't done yet. "Draco bloody Malfoy? Of all the bigots that you could choose to be friends with, you picked him? A Malfoy, Ron? What are you playing at, huh? Say something!"

"How about you show your older brother some respect?" Tracey snapped.

"Shut up, Davis," Ginny snapped back. "This is between Ron and his Family. So sod off."

"Ginny, that's enough," Ron shot her an angered look, which jarred her for a moment. But then, her face tightened with rage.

"You're so pathetic," Ginny said venomously, and Ron noticed his friends' faces darken. Malfoy, on the other hand, was genuinely surprised at what he was witnessing. "I bet Malfoy groveled and stroked your never-ending ego, and you immediately jumped on the chance to be friends with another 'wealthy Pure-Blood'. How could you do this to mum and dad?!" As they stepped further into the Courtyard, Ron stopped walking.

"Go wait by the tree behind me," Ron told his friends, who slowly did as they were told. All of them except for Daphne, who was staring at Ginny with murderous intent.

"Ron, what's going on here?" came Percy's voice, and Ron looked to find his brothers, Hermione, and Luna catch up to them. "Why are you-"

"You're eating with a Malfoy now?!" Fred demanded, while George shot his twin a frown.

"Just hear him out before you all start yelling," George stepped in front of Ron, something that really surprised him. I thought that he'd be angrier. But then again, he's a lot more patient than Fred.

"Greengrass, this is Family business," Ginny glared at Daphne, who simply walked up and stood by Ron's side.

"Tell that to Granger as well then," Daphne pointed out, and Ginny blinked at her.

"I… I can come back later…" Hermione mumbled, her confused eyes darting between Malfoy and Ron.

"No, Hermione," Ginny said quickly. "You have the right to be here."

"Then so does Daphne," Ron told them all, he'd be damned if he let them push his witch around.

"Ron, just tell us why Malfoy was eating with you?" Percy asked, he looked rather confused himself.

"Because he clearly wants Malfoy's-"

"Ginny, please be quiet," Luna said, her usual aloofness gone. Everyone looked towards Luna at that, while Ginny looked visibly stunned. "You're turning this into a fight when it can be a discussion. So just be quiet." Luna then looked to Ron, who swallowed thickly because, for a moment, he thought that Pandora was staring at him with her piercing gaze. "Ron, what's going on here?"

"Malfoy is a part of my group now, but it's not what you all think," Ron started, he knew that he had to be quick and precise here. "He's here because he needs protection within the House."

"What?" the twins blinked, while Percy gave Ron an even more confused look.

"I can't tell you all the details, but he basically needed help," Ron continued. "And in an effort to gain said help, he called in his chit with Blaise-"

"What 'chit'?" Fred asked. "What are you on about?!"

"Ron, let me," Daphne said, she knew that Ron had a weak spot when it came to his own Family. "When Blaise and Malfoy were younger, Blaise found himself owing Malfoy a debt of gratitude. Now, as you all know, a debt like this has to be repaid, or your Family is left dishonored. Malfoy was forcing Blaise into being his friend, and Blaise was willing to leave the group in order to do that, but we all learned of what was happening. We all agreed to bring Malfoy into the group so that Blaise wouldn't be made an outcast within the House. Ron is protecting his friend, that's all."

"Why doesn't Zabini just not repay his debt?" Hermione asked slowly, and Daphne frowned at her. "It sounds like he's willing to let Ron, his friend, suffer so that he can keep his 'Family's honor'… Which just sounds like more Pure-Blood jargon to me…"

"Pure-Blood jargon?" Daphne repeated, while Ron too frowned at Hermione. "Just because you don't understand our traditions doesn't mean that they are not to be respected, Granger. You are currently standing on the ground built by people who followed the Old Ways. So show some damn respect."

"Well, times change," Hermione argued back, she wasn't going to let Greengrass talk down to her. "We aren't living in the tenth century anymore."

"And our Family doesn't believe in the Old Ways," Ginny glared at Ron. "You lot have turned him into this… this pathetic caricature that just looks like Ronnie!" Ron rubbed his forehead at that, when had she started thinking so lowly of him?

"Ginny, control yourself," Percy frowned. "Don't make me drag you up to Gryffindor Tower again."

"I told you lot that Weasley was just another snake!" came Finnegan's voice, and everyone turned to look at the crowd of students walking up to them. Merlin have mercy… "So you're friends with Malfoy now? Is that it?"

"I'm not friends with-"

"He's the worst of the lot," Thomas frowned towards Malfoy, and then he shook his head at Ron. I'm sorry, but who the fuck are you to shake your head at me? Bloody cunt.

"Finally showing your true colors, eh?!" Cormac McLaggen grinned, his excitement disgusted the people around him.

"McLaggen, shut the fuck up," Alicia Spinnet rolled her eyes, which earned her nods from various students.

"Language," Percy frowned at them. "What is the reason behind this… mob? Don't you all have better things to do?"

"They're here for a show," Daphne whispered to Ron, whose hands were starting to shake. He couldn't lie to himself, he was rather terrified of losing all of his hard-earned respect. It took me two years to get here, and I might lose it all in one fucking day. Ron quickly hid his hands in his pockets, he wasn't going to give them a single inch.

"Ron doesn't have to justify himself to any of you," Tracey said as she stepped forward, followed by the rest of Ron's friends. Malfoy chose to linger by the tree, an amused smirk on his face.

"Listen up!" Blaise called, and people blinked at him. What's he doing? "I owed Malfoy a debt of gratitude, which I'm sure many of you can understand the gravitas of! I had to pay him back by being his ally, and I knew that that would turn you all against my friends! So I chose to leave my friends for their own sake's, but Ron chose to help me anyway! Like a true friend would! He's standing here, being gawked at as if he were an exotic beast by you lot, and he's doing it for my sake! That's who he is! So you lot can either respect the strength of his character, or just piss right off!"

Ron shot Blaise a slightly surprised look, he hadn't heard the dark-skinned wizard raise his voice so loudly before. It's like he was just holding it in for that little speech. Most of the crowd just exchanged looks, while some of them nodded slowly. Ron spotted his first years break out from the crowd and join his side, which then resulted in the other first years nodding in approval.

"I don't know about you lot, but what he does is none of our business," came Cedric's voice, and Ron gave him a nod. The Hufflepuffs will listen to him. "Is the study group on for this Friday, Ron?" Cedric asked, a very serious look on his handsome face. "It's just that classes are starting next week, and some of us need to get back in the studying mood."

"Yeah, it's on," Ron replied, deciding to take Cedric's lifeline.

"My friends and I will see you there then," Cedric said, and then he turned around and left with his friends. The other Hufflepuffs slowly followed his lead, with little Beth giving Ron a shy smile and wave. Saved by Cedric Diggory. Again. The crowd slowly started to dissipate at that, with Ron's study group giving him understanding nods and smiles. And soon enough, the students of Hogwarts had returned to their own daily lives. But the third year Gryffindors decided to stay behind, especially an angered Finnegan.

"We're not going to your study group, Weasley," Finnegan bit out.

"Speak for yourself," Fay Dunbar frowned at her House-mate, who genuinely gaped at her betrayal. "He's protecting his friend, and as far as I can tell, that's pretty noble of him."

"We'll be there on Friday, Ron," Parvati said, while Lavender nodded her agreement. "Seamus doesn't speak for the rest of us."

"Are you lot seriously buying this nonsense?!" Finnegan exclaimed. "They're Slytherins! They know how to lie!"

"Ten points from Gryffindor for your display of House-Antagonism, Seamus," Percy said immediately. Ron bit back a relieved laugh, Ginny and Hermione frowned at Percy, Lavender's group glared at Finnegan, and the twins kept their eyes on Ron. "Go back to your dormitories. Now." Finnegan and Thomas stormed off angrily, while the Lavender and her friends waved Ron goodbye. Ron waved back, a smile appearing on his face. They all stood up for me? Bloody hell! Haha! YES!

"So it's really true then?" George asked. "That piece of shite is blackmailing you?"

"Not blackmailing me…" Ron sighed out. "He made a good move, and I can't do anything about it."

"Can't? Or won't?" Ginny asked.

"What is your damn problem?" Pansy asked Ginny. "Does Family loyalty mean nothing to you?"

"Ron doesn't need to justify himself to you," Tracey added, she looked extremely pissed off all of a sudden.

"He can tell Malfoy to sod off, but he isn't!" Ginny argued hotly. "He's simply playing one of his games again!" In a way, she's right, but she's also starting to anger me as well.

"What games, Ginny?" Ron asked, and then he looked to his brothers. "Say something to her. Why are you just standing there?"

"I don't like the idea of you fraternizing with a Malfoy," Fred sighed out. "Ron… They're a bunch of bigots… And Malfoy, he's the worst of the lot."

"And like I said, he's only there for his own benefit," Ron told them. "I'm not his friend, nor do I listen to a word that he says."

"He's called every Muggle-Born in this school a…" Ginny trailed off, and then she looked to Hermione. "Tell him."

"It's true," Hermione said, she was still shooting wary looks towards Malfoy.

"And who defended you the first time he called you that slur?" Ron asked.

"You…" Hermione sighed out, and Ron nodded to himself.

"He won't be using those slurs," Ron assured them. "I've given him a warning, and he's respected it so far."

"And if he doesn't?" Luna asked, her sharp gaze moving towards Malfoy.

"Then he's out," Ron replied.

"I think that's fair," Luna nodded. "Ron is protecting Blaise, and he is staying true to his beliefs."

"How?" Ginny asked. "Why do you always just kiss his arse, Luna? Am I the only person who can't stand who he is now?"

"That's it!" Tracey suddenly yelled, making everyone flinch. Her eyes narrowed on a startled Ginny, and Ron quickly tried to calm her down.

"No, Ron!" Tracey bit out, and then she glared back at Ginny. "You're such a little bitch!"

"Oi!" the twins yelled, while Ginny just blinked in shock.

"You knew all along that your brother was innocent last year, but you never once uttered a word in his defense!" Tracey snapped, and everyone went wide-eyed. "You're a little self-righteous hypocrite! What makes you the moral authority on anything?! Huh?! What makes you even fit to comment on Ron's business?! If you were my sister, I would've slapped your fucking head off by now! How he puts up with your constant berating is beyond me! You let your brother get shamed by Granger and her dogs just so that you could keep your little secret! You nearly killed four people out of sheer fucking stupidity, and yet you dare speak to him like that?! Fuck off, you little tart!"

"Merlin…" Millie muttered, and then she grabbed Tracey from behind and tried to take her back to the tree. Ron and his other friends were quite shocked at Tracey's outburst, especially because it didn't suit her whatsoever.

"And fuck you too, Granger!" Tracey yelled as Millie carried her away. "Frizzy haired, buck-toothed bitch!"

"What the hell?" Ron looked towards Daphne, who quickly rushed over to calm Tracey down alongside Pansy. What the fuck was that?! Ron looked to his startled first years, and oddly enough, Astoria was grinning as widely as she could. The others, on the other hand, were genuinely scared of Tracey. Ron then looked to his stunned siblings, and unsurprisingly, Ginny was close to tears. Tracey just threw all of Ginny's trauma in her face…

"Gin…" Ron started, but Ginny glared at him through teary eyes.

"Go be friends with Malfoy then!" Ginny spat out, her voice cracking. "Fucking traitor!" Ron was genuinely shocked into silence at that, but then a familiar rage began stirring in his stomach.

"Ginny, you take that back right now!" Percy yelled, but Ginny had already started running away in tears. Hermione quickly ran after her, while the twins just glared at Tracey. Shite, they'll go after Tracey now.

"Stay away from Tracey," Ron said as he moved in the way of their glares.

"Did you not hear what she just said to Ginny?" Fred snarled.

"I heard it, and you know what, she's right," Ron said bitterly. Me? A fucking traitor? Fuck that! "You're all just so damn ungrateful, aren't you? I'm a 'traitor' for defending my friend? Is that it? After everything I've done for Ginny, this is how she repays me?" Ginny called Us a traitor. She's turned on Us like some venomous serpent.

"Ron, let's just go," Theo said gently. "Don't get so angry over something like this."

"This is all Potter's fault," Ron spoke to himself, his face twitching slightly. "He's turned her against me…" Percy and the twins exchanged slow looks, and then they looked to Theo and Blaise. "He was spying on me during the Funeral Gathering…"

"He was?" Percy asked slowly, what was wrong with Ron's face? "Ron… You're starting to worry me…"

"What's wrong with his face?" George asked.

"Just go, alright?" Blaise said quickly. "Go now." Ron felt Theo pull him towards the tree, but he chose to ignore it. She called me a fucking traitor. Ginny called me a fucking traitor. What the fuck? What the fuck?!

"Just breathe, Ron," Theo whispered, he was starting to get scared of Ron's jittery behavior.

"This has to be Potter's doing," Ron told himself. "Theo, they're turning my sister against me."

"Fucking hell, you're starting to scare me," Theo swallowed thickly, and then he reached into his robes and pulled out a Calming Draught. "I always carry one around… Drink it. Please…"

"I'm the only reason why they're even alive…" Ron hissed, and Theo jerked him to a stop.

"Fuck me…" Theo looked between Malfoy and Ron's brothers, and then he quickly undid the cork. "Here, mate." Ron just drank down the Potion without a second thought, his body shaking with from adrenaline.

"What's the matter with him?" Fred called out.

"What are you giving him?" George added.

"It's a Calming Draught," Theo replied, and everyone looked to him with shocked looks. Ron felt his body loosen a bit as the Potion began to cool down his stomach.

"What?!" Daphne snapped, but Theo gave her a look that surprised her silent.

"Ron has trouble with anger, and stress," Blaise told Ron's siblings, and Percy's eyes widened for a second. He knew about Ron's Chronic Stress, and he hadn't even thought of that. Did Ron's friends carry around Calming Draughts for his sake?

"Fred… George… Let's go find Ginny," Percy said quickly, his eyes fixed on Ron. "Luna, you as well."

"But Ron's clearly going through something-" George started, but Percy cut him off.

"His friends will take care of him," Percy said quickly. "Let's go find Ginny. Now!"

"Alright, alright…" the twins muttered, their eyes darting between Ron and Percy. Ron's brothers began to leave, but Luna just stood in her spot.

"Luna, we're-"

"I'm staying," Luna told Percy, who drew in a deep breath. And then, he yanked the twins after him. Luna then walked up to Ron, who was just staring past Theo. Why am I even getting so worked up about this? Ginny clearly needs to sort through her own issues. Let's not forget that she went through a lot of 'Slytherin related' problems last year. But I doubt that she knows that it was Lucius Malfoy who planted the Diary on her person. If she knew that, then she'd probably lash out even more at my current predicament.

"Are you there, Ron?" Theo called, while everyone surrounded him. Ron nodded, and then he looked to Tracey.

"Are you alright?" Ron asked her rather coldly, and she cleared her eyes. "Angry tears?"

"Yeah…" Tracey mumbled. "I'm sick of your 'Family' treating you like that, Ron. Sick of it…" I should reward her loyalty.

"I appreciate you standing up for me, Tracey," Ron 'smiled', and Tracey nodded slowly. "Why don't we spend some time together after this? I'll help you with anything that you need."

"Ron? Why are you speaking like that?" Lysandra asked, and Ron turned his 'smile' towards the first years.

"You eight did well," Ron told them. "I'll teach you a new Spell tomorrow before the study group. Is Midday alright with you all?"

"Yes!" they all quickly agreed, even Mathew was openly excited.

"Why don't you lot go and enjoy the rest of your day?" Ron suggested. "I just need to take care of a few things."

"Are you sure?" Mathew asked, and Ron nodded. "Alright then. Let's leave him be for now, guys." Yes, scurry away. As the first years left, Luna exchanged quick looks with Ron's friends. Pansy gestured her to leave as well, much to her surprise.

"Do you drug Weasley often?" Malfoy asked, and Millie immediately tried to smack him.

"Shut up, Malfoy," Daphne hissed, and then she looked to Ron with a wary look. "Ron, let's go to the Black Lake."

"Black Lake?" Ron asked, and Daphne nodded with a smile. She's forcing a smile at me? Does she think that'll work? "Stop smiling like an idiot, I'm not a toddler." Daphne flinched a bit at that, while Malfoy looked utterly gobsmacked. "But I see what you're trying to do. You don't want me going into Slytherin like this, right?"

"Right…" Daphne whispered, while Pansy slowly took her hand.

"Then say that next time," Ron rolled his eyes, and then he moved past them. "It'll be nice, I suppose. I'm just glad to be outside for a change. Keep up, Malfoy. We don't want Flint kidnapping you, do we?" Plus, I can use this time to think of a strategy against Flint. He'll no doubt be pissed off about Malfoy joining my merry band. Now, how do I deal with a Troll?

---

Draco Malfoy's POV

Thursday 1st October, 1993 (The Black Lake – Afternoon)

Draco couldn't deny that he had no idea what to even think right now. Weasley had gone from being a thug to being a complete sociopath, one that the others were genuinely afraid of. The last few days had been oddly fun for Draco, not only did he finally feel safe for once, but he also got to make his former friends extremely uncomfortable. He, of course, knew that sooner or later, his amusement was going to end. He would have to explain himself to his parents, after all. But that didn't matter much to him right now because he was just glad to sleep with both eyes closed for a change.

And then, Weasley was cornered by his Family and Granger. Draco could barely keep his smile hidden as everyone ripped into Weasley, and when Finnegan had shown up, Draco had nearly burst into laughter. But then Blaise had to go and ruin everything. Draco's fun came to an abrupt end as people from the other Houses stood up for Weasley, and the way that the younger students looked at him bothered Draco quite a bit. Weasley had their genuine respect. He was adored by his 'study group'. Even Lavender and her gossiping crows had stood by Weasley.

Draco's smile had died on his face, and he was filled with a sickening amount of envy. Weasley had everything that Draco wanted. And the worst part was that if Draco had been smarter in his earlier school days, he could've had the same type of respect as Weasley. The way that Davis had stood up for Weasley had left Draco utterly surprised, and once again, green with envy. She had screamed and fought to defend Weasley's honor… No one had ever done that for Draco.

And then there was the fact that Davis, in her rage, had let slip something rather outrageous. Ginny Weasley was behind the attacks last year… Ginny Weasley was the 'Heir of Slytherin'… Draco's jaw had dropped open, and when Ginny Weasley had started throwing her tantrum, Draco knew that Davis was right. It had jarred him into utter silence. Weasley and his friends were somehow connected to the 'Heir of Slytherin's' downfall last year, and Draco couldn't deny his curiosity. But now was not the time to bring it up, not with Weasley acting so… off.

The red-haired menace was simply enjoying the cool breeze, acting as if his own blood hadn't just labeled him a 'fucking traitor'. Weasley was at peace, but everyone else was now tense. Greengrass, Bulstrode, and Pansy seemed to be keeping their eyes on Weasley. Theo and Blaise were just skipping rocks, but they too shot occasional looks at Weasley. As for Davis and Lovegood, both girls were talking to each other in hushed whispers.

"Isn't this nice?" Weasley suddenly asked everyone, and Draco broke out of his thoughts. His smile isn't even reaching his eyes. He's forcing it on. Fuck, it's really creepy.

"It is," Pansy nodded. "I'm just glad to be out of that room. I swear you boys were farting constantly."

"It was Theo, I think," Weasley shrugged, and Theo gaped at him.

"I would never fart… in the presence of Ladies," Theo argued. It's odd. They speak so freely with one another. It's like they've forgotten how our parents raised us. Pansy talking about 'farts' so openly… Her mother would die if she saw this. Good riddance, I say. Her mother is a complete bitch.

"Malfoy, isn't this nice?" Weasley asked, his 'smile' turning towards Draco. He's talking to me? Draco looked to the others, and he noticed Pansy nodding her head at him.

"It is," Draco replied, and then he looked towards the Lake.

"I bet you feel really glad that you don't have to worry about Flint anymore," Weasley went on, and Draco looked back to him. "No more bullying for little Draco…" What's he up to?

"Ron, do you want to listen to my Walkman?" Davis asked quickly, but Weasley simply shook his head. The redhead's cold gaze was fixed on Draco, and despite trying to keep his composure, the hairs on the back of Draco's neck were starting to rise.

"You look just like your father," Weasley told Draco, something that made Draco blink. "It's your long hair…"

"I'll take that as a compliment," Draco said, something was not right here.

"Is everything alright, Ron?" Lovegood asked slowly, her eyes darting towards everyone. So she's picked up on it too. There's venom behind every word that's coming out of his mouth.

"Of course," Weasley replied. "Everything is just fine…" Weasley then looked towards Pansy, and she managed a weak smile at him. "I reckon Draco needs a haircut." What? And when did I allow him to call me Draco?!

"Pardon?" Pansy blinked, while Bulstrode and Greengrass seemed to have frozen in their spots.

"I don't need a haircut," Draco stood up, his face twisting in anger. "How dare you-"

"Either Pansy cuts your hair, or I do," Weasley 'smiled' at him.

"Ron, stop it," Blaise spoke up, but one look from Weasley shut him up.

"Pansy, give him a nice new haircut," Weasley ordered, his pale blue eyes fixed on Draco's.

"I… I don't…" Pansy muttered.

"Fine, I'll do it," Weasley shrugged, and then he took his wand out. Draco quickly reached for his own wand, but by the time his hand had reached into his robes, Weasley had bound and gagged him with the Incarcerous Charm. Draco lost his balance and fell to his side with a dull thud, and he heard one of the girls squeal.

"I'll do it!" Pansy quickly spoke up, and then she rushed over to Draco's side. "I'll give him a haircut." Fucking psychopath!

"Thanks, Pansy," Weasley nodded in approval. "Something short, but stylish, will do. Not an undercut though, I still use that look."

"Alright," Pansy nodded fervently, and then she looked to Theo and Blaise for help. Draco groaned in protest as the two boys sat him up, his eyes darting towards everyone. Lovegood was just staring at Weasley with wide-eyes, while Bulstrode and Greengrass had started averting their gazes. WHAT THE FUCK?! HE'S INSANE!

"Ron, stop it," Lovegood suddenly said, but Weasley ignored her as he approached Draco.

"You think I didn't notice you smiling whilst this group was under attack?" Weasley asked in a cold whisper, and Draco swallowed thickly. "You've been enjoying yourself, right? Making us miserable. Thinking that you've outmaneuvered me. Believing that as long as you own Blaise, you can do as you please." Weasley then reached forward and undid Draco's gag.

"You fucking psycho-" Draco started, but a quick slap shut him up. Draco was honestly dazed by the force behind Weasley's blow, but he could hear Lovegood gasping in horror.

"I've thought of a plan, you see," Weasley drawled. "I'll make you as miserable as us. I think that's fair, don't you? Yes… It is, indeed. Since we can't talk openly anymore, then neither will you. No more smirks, no more amused smiles, no more arrogant remarks…"

"You promised to… to protect me," Draco blinked repeatedly. What the fuck is happening?!

"From Flint, yes," Weasley said coldly. "But not from me." Weasley then stood up to his full height, and Draco could do little but stare up at him. "Pansy, do your work please." With that, Weasley left enjoy the cold breeze again. Theo and Blaise gave Draco odd looks, and then they too left. They're just going to ignore this?!

"Pansy, don't…" Draco whispered frantically, but he felt her grab his ponytail. "Please…"

"Either I cut it, or he does," Pansy replied weakly, and then she drew in a deep breath. "And don't use my first name." And that's when he felt her cut his ponytail off.

---

Thursday 1st October, 1993 (The Great Hall – Lunchtime)

Weasley was worse than Flint. Draco had made a deal with the Devil in order to get away from a Demon. Once again, Draco was left disgusted by his own lack of foresight. He had given into his petty nature once again, and because of that, he hadn't seen Weasley's true face in time. He desperately wanted to believe that his former friends only followed Weasley around because they were scared of him, but the truth was that they revered him. They were scared of him, and yet they loved him completely.

Draco just couldn't figure it out. What had they all gone through together that made them so close to one another? Was it the fact that they had played some part in the Heir's downfall? If so, then why was Ginny Weasley not in Azkaban? He had a burning desire to find the truth, which was a feeling that he himself couldn't figure out. Why was Weasley so different from his siblings? Was his current state his real self? If so, then Draco knew that he had to be careful from now on.

Lunch was an odd affair, mostly because Weasley kept insisting that 'Malfoy needs some meat on his bones'. In one sitting, Draco had eaten more than he had all week. Quite a lot of people gave Weasley odd looks, but no one really said anything. It was no secret that Draco had lost a lot of weight due to his recent hardships, so people just assumed that Weasley was being thoughtful. Because of this, Draco knew why Weasley had made Pansy give him a very decent haircut. Draco looked much better than he had in weeks, which meant that no one would believe him when he told them that Weasley had completely humiliated him.

"Here, Draco," Weasley 'smiled' as he put another piece of pie on Draco's plate. "Eat this as well. It's really good."

"I… I can't take another bite…" Draco managed, he was filled up to his throat.

"Ron, I think he's eaten enough," Greengrass said, her eyes fixed on Draco's pie. "I think you-"

"Eat the pie!" Weasley hissed, his fist slamming down on the table. Draco's entire body tensed, while the rest of the group went dead silent. "Eat it, or I'll force it down your gullet." Fuck… Draco took a spoonful, and he put it in his mouth. "Good, right?"

"Yeah…" Draco nodded, making sure to chew slowly.

"Have my juice," Weasley smirked, his left eye twitching. It was an odd thing to witness, but it terrified Draco nonetheless. He looks fucking unhinged. Draco took a sip of the pumpkin juice, his eyes darting towards Lovegood, who was watching him with a sorry look from the Ravenclaw table. She'll never tell anyone the truth about what he did to me. And I don't blame her. Her 'brother' is a sociopath.

"I like this hairstyle on you," Weasley noted, and then he looked towards Pansy. "What's this one called, Pans?"

"A short faux hawk cut," Pansy replied, she looked much calmer than the others for some reason. She doesn't want to give him a reason to turn on her? Yeah, that has to be it.

"Very sharp," Weasley nodded, his eyes darting down towards Draco's pie. Draco quickly took another spoonful and put it in his mouth, and he prayed to the Gods that he wouldn't vomit in public.

---

Twenty Minutes Later

"This looks suits you much better, Draco," Snape said from behind his desk, his head nodding in a curt manner. "You look alive again." For some reason though, Draco's heart sank at his Godfather's compliment. Weasley had escorted him right here after lunch, but only because Snape had asked him to.

"Thank you, Godfather," Draco said softly.

"Is something on your mind?" Snape asked, and Draco just stared at him for a bit. "Draco… You can speak to me." I've made another mistake, I think.

"My move against Weasley…" Draco started. Has backfired. "It's working. I am no longer in danger from Flint." Oddly enough, his own pride had stopped him from admitting his newest blunder. What would Godfather say if I told him that I was once again in need of his help?

"It was a good move," Snape nodded. "Well done, Draco."

"I broke my promise to Blaise," Draco pointed out.

"No one can dig out of a grave without getting their hands dirty," Snape told him. "You did what was best for you, and it seems to have worked out for everyone. Well… Everyone but Mr. Weasley. The whole school is talking about his sister's 'tantrum'."

"It was surprising," Draco admitted. "To hear his own sister call him a traitor…" But not as surprising as what followed.

"The Weasleys are a temperamental lot," Snape said coldly. "It's one of their biggest weaknesses, but also one of their greatest strengths."

"Strengths?" Draco blinked.

"Rage can fuel a man when nothing else will," Snape replied, and Draco nodded slowly.

"You're giving me lessons again," Draco said, his lips twitching upwards. "Does that mean that you are no longer angry with me?"

"It means that you've earned my forgiveness by finally utilizing your mind," Snape replied, and Draco managed a smile. "Now, what do you plan to do about your parents?"

"I will tell them that I plan to dismantle Weasley's group from the inside out," Draco replied, he had been plotting this ever since Weasley had accepted him. "I will tell them that I've turned Flint's gang against Weasley, and while Weasley tackles that Troll, I'll rebuild my strength and influence within the House." Which is my actual goal anyway.

"That will have to serve," Snape nodded. "I will, of course, give your plan credibility."

"Thank you, Godfather," Draco bowed his head respectfully.

"How is Mr. Weasley treating you?" Snape asked, and Draco blinked at him. What do I say? "I saw him feeding you as if you were a child during lunch. Care to explain that?"

"He said that I needed more meat on my bones," Draco replied, and Snape nodded slowly.

"I see," Snape whispered coldly. "You are excused, Draco." Draco stood up at that, and then he made his way towards the exit. "If he hurts you, you must tell me immediately." Draco stopped and turned around, a slightly surprised look on his face.

"Hurt me?" Draco asked, but Snape didn't say anything back. Instead, his Godfather just stared at him. Does… Does he know what Weasley's really like? When Snape didn't say anything more, Draco slowly left the Office.

"Finished?" Weasley asked, and Draco nodded as he closed the door.

"Flint will be waiting for us at the common room," Theo pointed out, and everyone nodded in agreement. "How do we handle this?"

"We ignore him," Weasley said, his voice was far too monotone for Draco's liking. How do they deal with this?!

"Ignore him?" Greengrass asked, while the others just exchanged looks.

"I reckon that'll piss him off the most," Weasley shrugged.

"Shouldn't we try to not piss Flint off?" Draco asked, and everyone frowned at him. Fine… I'll just stay quiet then.

"He is right though," Davis sighed out. "Starting a fight with Flint isn't the smart call here."

"There won't be a fight," Weasley told her. "We'll ignore him, he'll get angry, I'll tell him that Draco is no longer his to torment, and then like the Troll that he is, he will get riled up." Why is he calling me Draco? I hate it… It makes me feel so uncomfortable… Wait… This bastard.

"You want him to hit you?" Blaise asked, and Weasley 'smiled'. "Ron, let's just go to the Courtyard until this Potion wears off… This isn't you, mate…"

"Once he hits me, I'll be 'defending' myself," Weasley told them, he was clearly ignoring Blaise's advice. "Think about it. If we let him walk all over us, or if we try and avoid him, it will only serve to embolden him. He's a bully, and bullies go after the people that they believe to be weak. I'll show him, and the Triumvirate, that we are not to be crossed." Is it weird that a part of me wants Weasley to beat Flint senseless? They're around the same height, and although Flint has more strength, Weasley's clearly the stronger wizard.

"Ron, I want to talk to you," Greengrass said firmly, and Weasley gave her a curt nod. As soon as Weasley stepped away with Greengrass, Bulstrode glared at Theo.

"Why did you give him a Calming Draught?" Bulstrode hissed, and Theo signaled her to lower her voice.

"I didn't have a choice," Theo whispered, and then he looked towards Draco. "Malfoy, go away for a second." Draco rolled his eyes, and then he gave them their space. Theo was clearly explaining himself to the others, while Greengrass was talking animatedly with Weasley. Truth be told, Draco was quite interested in the conversation happening between Weasley and Greengrass. Those two are clearly involved. Or at least, they both want to be. After a few minutes, Weasley and Greengrass joined the others, and Draco took that as his signal to return to the group.

"We're going to the Courtyard until dinner," Weasley told them, and then he simply turned around and started to leave. Right. Let's follow the deranged bastard.

---

Thursday 1st October, 1993 (The Slytherin Common Room – After Dinner)

This was it. They were finally heading into the common room. Weasley was still a bit out of it, but at least he had eased up on making Draco miserable. Whatever Greengrass had said to him had worked, and Draco was truly grateful for it, even if he would never show it. As they stepped into the common room, Draco's eyes darted around the room. There he is.

"He's sitting in our spot," Davis frowned deeply, while Draco worked to steady his nerves.

"I bet he thinks that he's being clever," Theo shook his head. "Trying to get to us by taking our spot… What a moron."

"What do we do?" Greengrass asked Weasley, who was just staring at Flint.

"Let's go play cards in our room," Weasley shrugged, and Draco's mouth dropped open. He's still out of it! He's gone from being terrifying to just not caring about anything. Weasley began heading towards the boys' dorm, but lo and behold, Flint's gang quickly got up and moved into their way. Oh Merlin, it's happening. As Draco slowly moved his hand closer to his wand, he noticed that the rest of the common room had gone dead silent.

"Going somewhere, Weasley?" Flint asked, while Crabbe and Goyle cracked their knuckles at Draco.

"We were, until you stepped in our way," Weasley replied calmly. "Mind stepping aside?"

"We will, after you hand over that little rat," Flint replied, his eyes landing on Draco. "You little bitch… Running to Weasley for protection? Really?"

"Fuck, you're so ugly," Weasley suddenly said, his aloof voice making even Flint blink. Wow… "Don't sneer near me please, I don't want nightmares tonight."

"Hand Malfoy over, Weasel," Flint snarled, his face tightening in anger. Bulstrode slowly moved in front of Draco, much to his surprise. We're about to fight? Oh, fuck me… "That's our Seeker that you're stealing." Flint then looked to the other Slytherins. "Weasley here is ruining our chances of winning the Quidditch Cup this year. As Captain of the Quidditch Team, I have the right pick whichever student I think is best for a position."

"Malfoy, do you want to play Seeker this year?" Weasley asked, all the while ignoring the whispers around them.

"No," Draco replied.

"And Flint is forcing you into it?" Weasley asked.

"He is," Draco replied.

"Flint clearly doesn't understand that bullying is a terrible motivator," Weasley told everyone. "He's the one damaging our Quidditch Team's chances by forcing an unwilling individual into arguably the Team's most important role. And not only that, but he is blatantly abusing his position as the Quidditch Captain by not holding Quidditch tryouts. He just wants to torment Malfoy, and he's risking this House's victory in order to please himself." The people in the common room began nodding and whispering, while Flint glared murder at Weasley.

"You think you're so clever, don't you?" Flint hissed. "Fucking Blood-Traitor." Draco looked towards the back of Weasley's head at that, his mouth feeling a little dry. Was Weasley finally about to lose it?

"Are you done?" Weasley simply asked. "Mind stepping out of the way?"

"Flint, that's enough," Carey Ductu spoke up, and everyone looked towards the Triumvirate.

"You're taking his side?" Flint demanded.

"No, but you're ruining our evening with your little tantrum," Clara Martyris smirked. "Since Malfoy clearly doesn't want to be your Seeker, you'll need to hold tryouts. Ronald makes a good point, no one can deny that."

"Now let them pass," Samantha added. "You're a seventh year, at least act like one." Flint glared at the Triumvirate, and then at Weasley, and then he slowly stepped aside.

"This isn't over," Flint spat out, his eyes fixed on Draco. "Graham sent his owl to your parents' Manor, Malfoy… Expect to hear from them soon." Draco tensed even more, but he didn't show Flint any weakness. They all quietly moved past Flint's gang, and once they were in the dorms, they rushed to the boys' room.

"That went well," Weasley noted as he entered the room, while his friends just shook their heads.

"Really?" Bulstrode asked, and Weasley nodded to himself.

"We didn't get into a fight," Weasley noted, and then he shot a smile at Greengrass.

"You didn't have to call him ugly, Ron," Greengrass sighed out.

"But he is ugly," Weasley chuckled as he sat down on his bed. "Malfoy, what are you going to do about your parents?"

"I haven't figured that out yet," Draco lied, and he sat down on his own bed. "But I'll think of something…"

"Alright then," Weasley said coldly. "You do that… By the way, from now on, you go wherever I go. Flint will take every opportunity to get you alone, and since I gave you my word, I don't plan to leave anything to chance. Which means that tomorrow morning, I'll be waking you up at the crack of dawn."

"What? Why?" Malfoy frowned.

"I want to see how long you can run for," Weasley replied, and Draco just blinked at him.

---

Ronald Weasley's POV

Friday 2nd October, 1993 (The Library – Late Afternoon)

He wasn't proud of his actions yesterday, nor was he proud of how much joy he had extracted from tormenting Malfoy. But if he had the choice to go back in time, he'd change nothing. The only way to keep Malfoy from running his mouth was to make him afraid, to make him realize that Ronald Weasley could be far worse than Marcus Flint.

The Potion had done its job perfectly. Ron had been freed from his hurt and anger for a time, and in that time, he had done some much needed plotting. His first goal, which was to make Malfoy afraid of him, had succeeded quite wonderfully. His second goal, which was to show Flint's true motivations to the rest of the House, had also succeeded. And his final goal, which was keep the loyalty of his first years, had also succeeded this morning.

But ever since the Potion had worn off, Ron had begun to struggle with his own negative emotions. Ginny's words had cut deep, so deep that Ron lost his strength at the mere thought of her. Compared to the rest of his siblings, Ron arguably cared about Ginny the most. Especially after last year's events. He wanted to be as close to her as he was when they were younger. He wanted her to respect and love him, just as he did her. But she clearly didn't feel the same way.

Ron couldn't really blame her either. Her first year at Hogwarts was a Slytherin themed horror show, and in her mind, her big brother was slowly descending into the 'evil' rabbit hole. The addition of Malfoy into the group had clearly pulled out the emotions that she had been hiding away, and in her anger, she had shown Ron just what she thought of him.

Ron, of course, kept up a façade of strength, especially because he couldn't show Malfoy any weakness right now. But his friends could see that he was struggling to even smile, and that whenever things got too quiet, Ron would drift away into happier memories. He was hurt… No, he was utterly devastated because of Ginny's words. He could still picture just how terribly her face had twisted before she cut him to shreds. He could still see her running away in tears, her body shaking because of her angry sobs. He desperately wanted to find her and apologize, to convince her that he wasn't a traitor. That he was, and always would be, loyal to their Family.

And yet, a darker part of him wanted to hurt her. A very small part of him wanted to pin her down and beat her into submission. Why was he always the one who had to apologize? Why was it that no one from his Family ever understood his point of view? Why was he never given the benefit of the doubt? Had he not told them the truth this time? Sure, he hadn't told them all of it, but he hadn't left out anything important either. He had put his own lifestyle at risk in order to protect his friend, and yet she couldn't see the virtue in that. Percy, Fred, and George clearly did, even if they didn't approve of Ron's actions. The twins hated Malfoy more than they respected Ron's character, which wasn't even surprising because they could be cruel without intention.

And then there was Harry fucking Potter. Ron was now sure that Harry had once again turned on him, but try as he might, Ron couldn't figure out why. Was Harry really that jealous of Ron's alliance with Dumbledore? Had Ron done something stupid without even realizing it? What possible reason could Harry have to go after Ron now? Ron wasn't foolish enough to overlook the fact that Harry had been spying on him during a Funeral Gathering, nor was he willing to overlook just how often he spotted Ginny following the Trio around. Had Neville and Hermione turned on him as well? Probably, now that Malfoy was a part of Ron's group.

"Ron, what's this?" Beth asked, her thin little finger pointing at a picture of a Puffapod.

"That would be a Puffapod, Beth," Ron replied, his thoughts jarring to a halt. "Their spores can cause dizziness, and I hear that they make Trolls sneeze as well."

"Are you sure about the Troll thing?" a Gryffindor first year asked, and Ron gave him a wink.

"I wrote it down on my homework once, and I got full marks," Ron told them, and every first year immediately wrote it down.

Hermione, Ginny, Finnegan, and Thomas weren't here today, but the rest of his study group had shown up. Despite his misery, he couldn't help but feel happy with this turnout. I had expected the study group to die because of Malfoy being here. Much to the blonde ponce's credit, he was quietly doing his own work. No one spoke to him, and he didn't bother asking anyone for help either. He was simply… there.

"Ron, a word?" came Pansy's voice from behind him, and Ron turned to face her. She was looking quite serious, so Ron quickly stood up.

"Keep working, you lot," Ron said to the first years. "Mathew, once again, you're in charge until I get back."

"Understood," Mathew nodded, while the Slytherins rolled their eyes. Ron then followed Pansy behind a bookshelf, and when she turned around with an angry glare, Ron cocked his eyebrow.

"Pans, what's wrong?" Ron asked.

"Ernie Macmillan is what's wrong," Pansy huffed out, and Ron blinked at her. What? "Ron, he's trying to flirt with Daphne." Huh? Ron just stared at Pansy's angry face for a few seconds, and then he drew in a deep breath.

"What do you mean that he's flirting with her?" Ron asked, a part of him was getting riled up. "Is she flirting back?"

"No, she's not," Pansy replied, and Ron immediately calmed down. "But she might if he doesn't stop. He's a cute boy, Ron. Think about that." She won't flirt with him though, so I really don't have to think about how 'cute' he is. "Ugh! What are you doing with the first years when Daphne could be stolen away from you?"

"Pansy, take a deep breath," Ron said slowly. "How many pages of Witch Weekly did you read this morning?"

"What?" Pansy frowned, and Ron bit back a smirk. "You're making jokes?!"

"Shhh," Ron quickly shushed her. "I'm sorry, alright? I didn't mean anything by it."

"Daphne is being… being seduced by that Badger… And you're making jokes?" Pansy hissed, while Ron's lips twitched upwards.

"What are you two doing?" came Daphne's voice from behind them, and Ron turned to see Daphne putting a book back into place.

"Daphne, come here a moment," Ron beckoned, and Daphne walked up with a suspicious look. "I hear that Ernie has seduced you."

"What?" Daphne blinked, and Ron laughed inside of his mouth. "Seduced?" Daphne then looked towards Pansy. "What nonsense are you telling him, Pansy?"

"Not nonsense," Pansy huffed. "Ernest plans to ask you out today… Susan Bones told me so herself." Is that so?

"He already did, and I said no," Daphne told them, and both Ron and Pansy blinked at her. "He took it very well, and now we're just studying together."

"What did you tell him?" Ron asked, failing to sound even a little casual.

"I told him that I was already seeing someone," Daphne replied, and Pansy's eyes widened.

"You're cheating on Ron?!" Pansy nearly shrieked, and Ron quickly put his gloved hand over her mouth.

"Pansy, control yourself," Ron ordered, all the while doing his best to lower Pansy's accusing finger.

"We're not even dating, Pansy," Daphne bit out, and Ron shot her a confused look. Oh wait… We haven't told anyone. "Merlin, you need Pomfrey's help."

"Mmm…" Pansy mumbled against Ron's hand, so Ron slowly pulled his hand back. "Who are you seeing then? Huh?"

"No one, you deranged banshee," Daphne rubbed her forehead, while Pansy nodded slowly. "Ron, can I have a moment alone with Pansy?"

"Sure," Ron muttered, and then he quickly left the two girls behind. As he made his way towards his study group, Ron spotted a head full of bushy brown hair. Hermione? She was currently hovering behind the corner of a book shelf, her eyes clearly searching for him. Ron calmly walked up behind her, and he tapped her shoulder. She turned around frantically, making Ron jump back in surprise.

"Oh… It's you…" Hermione breathed out, her left hand resting over her chest. "God, you nearly scared me to death…"

"What are you doing?" Ron asked slowly, his eyes darting towards his study group.

"I… I um… Oh Ron, I'm terribly sorry about this…" Hermione bowed her head, something that made Ron cock his eyebrow. "Ginny… She sent me here to see if Malfoy was in the study group…" Ginny sent her here?

"Ginny sent you?" Ron managed, his throat tightening.

"She's gone mental," Hermione sighed out, and then she gave him a sorry look. "I'm sorry for what she said to you yesterday, I really am. She hasn't calmed down a bit, especially after what Davis did to her."

"You mean after my friend defended me from Ginny's bile?" Ron asked coldly, and Hermione blinked at him. "Sorry… I'm just… I'm not feeling too well…" I need to stay calm. I need to get my emotions under control before I make an even bigger mess. "How's she doing? Besides being angry with me, that is."

"She's nothing but angry, Ron," Hermione replied. "Malfoy, Ron? Really?"

"Don't," Ron said firmly. "I'm not explaining myself again, alright? It's bad enough that I have to deal with that cunt, I don't need to put up with all your judgement as well."

"Language…" Hermione murmured. "I won't say anything about it then. What you do in Slytherin is your business."

"Good," Ron nodded, his tone slightly harsh.

"Ginny… She um… She tried to talk the other Gryffindors out of your study group… Especially her year-mates…" Hermione told him, and Ron's jaw clenched. "They chose you over her, Ron. She hasn't taken that well…" Ginny's always the victim, isn't she? Stop it… Calm down.

"She trying to turn people against me?" Ron asked, and Hermione quickly shook her head. "Then what would you say that she's doing?"

"She worried about you, obviously," Hermione argued, and Ron had to fight the urge to gawk at her. "This is Malfoy that you're 'befriending', Ron. Harry told us that it was Lucius Malfoy who gave Ginny the Diary, something that you probably didn't know about."

"I know," Ron told her, and Hermione nodded slowly. "So I should let Blaise go because he owes Lucius Malfoy's son a debt? Is that Ginny's argument?"

"She's not thinking clearly right now," Hermione told him. "Percy isn't exactly helping by telling her to apologize constantly-"

"Yes, my sister never feels the need to apologize," Ron chuckled mirthlessly. "Even when we were children, she'd always get away with everything simply because she was Ginny Weasley."

"You sound just as bitter as her, Ron," Hermione frowned, and then her eyes darted to someone behind Ron. Ron turned to see Pansy and Daphne staring at Hermione.

"I'm alright," Ron told them. "Please go back to the study group."

"Call us if you need anything," Daphne said, her eyes fixed on Hermione. The two Slytherin girls left slowly, and only when they were gone did Ron look back to Hermione.

"If I sound bitter, Hermione," Ron started. "It's because I am bloody bitter. My own sister called me a fucking traitor in front of a dozen people."

"She didn't mean it, I'm sure," Hermione said, and Ron shook his head slowly.

"People don't say things like that unless they mean them," Ron told her. "She thinks that I'm some traitor to our Family, when in truth, I've done more for this Family than she ever will. And now she's throwing a tantrum, like she always does, in the hopes of getting her way. I bet she thought that our brothers would side with her, but they didn't. Hell, even I'm surprised by that. So now she's lashing out by trying to rally other people against me, but that's also failed."

"Ron, just talk to her," Hermione advised. "She only needs an explanation."

"I've given her one," Ron said firmly. "She wants an apology, but this time, she is the one who has to apologize. I'm tired of being the person who always asks for forgiveness."

"You don't always ask for forgiveness," Hermione pointed out haughtily. "Did you ask for Harry's forgiveness after you beat him bloody? I know that you two made up, but did you ever truly apologize?"

"Do you even hear yourself?" Ron asked her, and she immediately frowned at him. "Are you that used to acting as a moral authority on what's right and wrong that you can't even understand that what you and your friends were doing was far worse than what I did?"

"We didn't hurt anyone, Ron," Hermione snapped.

"You gave Daphne's second degree burns, you self-righteous hypocrite," Ron hissed as he got into her face.

"What… What are you talking about?" Hermione muttered, her back pressing against the shelf.

"What did you think happened after you blew up a cauldron full of boiling Solution?" Ron asked, his eyes digging into hers. "She had second degree burns all over her chest, while my other friends had similar burns elsewhere." Hermione just blinked at him, and then all she could do was stare at the ground. "Did you ever even think about that? No… No, I doubt that you did… After all, it was you who was behind the explosion, so how could it possibly be a bad thing?"

"I just don't understand," Ron chuckled coldly as he moved back. "I… I don't… What do I even say to you, Hermione? I've tried to be your friend… I really have… But you just can't get over the fact that I'm in Slytherin…"

"It's not like that at all," Hermione said quickly. "Ron, we are friends."

"Are we?" Ron asked her, his temper flaring up. "Then why were you spying on me at the Funeral Gathering?" Hermione's eyes nearly popped out of her head, while Ron just stared at her with a slightly hurt look. "Yeah… I noticed you and Harry following me around. And yes, I'm the one who locked him away."

"He was right," Hermione muttered.

"There you go again," Ron rubbed his face. "You immediately think that Harry was the victim of some cruel crime, but you gloss over the fact that he was spying on me at a Funeral Gathering. What the fuck is the matter with you people? Am I just an arsehole that deserves to be treated like shite?"

"Of… Of course not, Ron," Hermione muttered, her eyes were starting to well up.

"Then why?" Ron asked. "Why do you always do this? What did I do to Harry this time? Did… Did I do something that I shouldn't have?" Hermione shook her head, and then she sniffled. "Clearly I did something wrong… Why else would he start spying on me? Why else would he turn Ginny against me?"

"He has done nothing of the sort," Hermione quickly defended Harry. "Ginny was… Ginny was showing her… confusion… about your character long before we became friends with her…" LIES!

"She has this stupid little crush on him," Ron muttered to himself, while Hermione cleared her eyes. "He's the 'Chosen One'… The great Harry Potter… He can do no wrong in her eyes…" Perhaps We should prove his mortality to Ginevra? "If he tells her that I'm not to be trusted, she'll happily believe him… After all, I'm just her stupid older brother… What am I compared to the Boy-Who-Lived?"

Hermione could do little but stare at Ron's sudden trance-like mood. Part of her knew that Ginny was questioning Ron's character long before she started spending time with Harry, but Hermione also knew that Harry had done little to help Ron out. If anything, both Harry and Ginny had fed off of each other's doubts about Ron's character, and now that Malfoy was a part of Ron's group, both Harry and Ginny would no doubt get far worse. And then there was this whole 'MRI' thing…

"Ron… Are you… unwell?" Hermione asked slowly, she could no longer hide her interest in this 'MRI' business.

"Unwell?" Ron blinked, while she nodded slowly. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Hermione quickly lied. "You just went into a trance of sorts…"

"I'm fine," Ron told her. "Are you going to tell me why Harry is spying on me?"

"I… I really don't know why," Hermione lied. The truth was that both Neville and Hermione knew that Harry felt jealous of Ron's relationship with Dumbledore. Her friend had never met a decent adult until Hagrid and Dumbledore, and so he was quite possessive of them both. Ron's odd 'friendship' with Dumbledore had put Ron on Harry's radar, and things were starting to spiral out of control once again.

"Fine then," Ron said, and then he turned to leave. "Tell Ginny that until she apologizes to me, I won't even acknowledge her presence. This time, I'm not apologizing. I've done nothing wrong."

---

Albus Dumbledore's POV

Friday 2nd October, 1993 (The Davis Residence – Dinnertime)

He had decided that it was past time that he fulfilled his promise to Ronald. It was past time that he began searching for former Slytherins who had either stood against Tom's reign, or had been forced to serve him. Albus could, of course, see the benefits of having wealthy Pure-Bloods backing the Order, which was something that was sorely needed during the last war. But Albus also understood that those who valued ambition often served only themselves. A lesson that I myself learned through many of my great failures. The door suddenly swung open, and Susana Davis greeted him with a lovely smile.

"Good evening, Susana," Albus smiled at her, and her mouth dropped open from shock.

"Hea… Headmaster?" she blinked, no doubt wondering if she was seeing things. "What… What are you doing here?"

"May I please come in?" Albus asked gently, and she nodded slowly as she moved aside. Albus entered the Muggle home with twinkling eyes, his senses picking up traces of Magic everywhere. "Forgive my intrusion at this late hour, but I desperately needed to see you and your husband."

"Right…" the former Hufflepuff said slowly, her mouth still hanging open slightly. "Um… What about?" And then her eyes widened. "Is it Tracey? Is she hurt, Headmaster?"

"Not at all," Albus quickly assured her. "Your daughter is quite well, I promise."

"Good… Good…" Susana nodded, and then she gestured him towards the Living Room. Albus followed her with a smile, his eyes darting towards all the Muggle items with childish glee. Arthur would no doubt have a field day in here. "Husband… The Headmaster is here to see us."

"The Headmaster?" James Davis looked up with a confused look, but when he saw Albus, his mouth too dropped open. "Good heavens… Headmaster?" James quickly got up to his feet, and Albus gave him a genuine smile.

"Good evening, James," Albus greeted the former seventh year prefect. "Once again, I'm terribly sorry for bothering you two."

"No… No, not at all," James shook his head, and then he gestured Albus to sit down. "Love, please get the Headmaster something to drink." Susana nodded, but Albus quickly stopped her.

"I fear that I will not be staying here for long," Albus told them, and they just blinked at him. "Is your fireplace connected to Greengrass Manor?"

"Yes…" James replied, this was perhaps the most bizarre thing that he had ever witnessed.

"Could you please take me there?" Albus asked them. "I wish to speak with the Greengrasses as well."

"Sebastian was right…" James realized, his face losing all of its color. "The Dark Lord…" So they already suspected his return. Good, this will make things easier. James' eyes darted towards Susana, and Albus saw genuine fear cross the man's face.

"James, take me to Greengrass Manor," Albus said gently, and the man gave a shaky nod.

"He's back…" Susana trembled, while her husband ran over to prepare the floo. "He's truly back…"

"Not quite," Albus told her, and then he put a calming hand on her shoulder. "I will explain everything. Come."

---

Five Minutes Later

"But the Mark has died," Mary said in a frantic voice, her eyes fixed on her husband's faded Dark Mark. "Look at it…"

"It died on the same day as the fire," Sebastian said, and then he covered up his left forearm. "He cut the Mark off to hide his return."

"I can't believe that you were right, Sebastian," Susana muttered, her face sinking into her hands. "He's returned."

"Is that why you sought us out, Headmaster?" James asked, and Albus nodded.

"Whether we like it or not, another war is imminent," Albus told them, which only served shake them even more.

"The Ministry has to be warned," Susana said quickly, her beauty marred by her fear. "The Aurors, the Minister, everyone…"

"Sadly, things are not quite so simple," Albus said, and everyone except Susana nodded.

"No one will want to believe that the Dark Lord has returned," James told his wife. "Especially not the Ministry."

"They'll be blamed for this, and in order to avoid that, they'll refuse to acknowledge their lack of oversight," Mary added, and then she drew in a deep breath. "Sebastian, the girls…"

"My daughters will not grow up in a war," the pale man hissed to himself. "I have already begun making arrangements for Australia… We will all go there, and not-"

"Forgive me for saying this, Sebastian, but that will not save your daughters," Albus cut in, and Sebastian glared at him. "This war will engulf the entire World if left unchecked."

"And I'm not leaving," James said abruptly, and his wife drew in a sharp breath.

"What do you mean by that?" Sebastian asked James.

"I'm not running away," James clenched his fists against the dining table. "I didn't before, and I won't now."

"Don't be mad, James," Mary started, but the brown haired man simply shook his head.

"He'll never stop hunting people like my wife," James said as he took his wife's hand. "I am not going to bury my head in the sand, not while my Family is being threatened. And he'll never stop hunting you either, Sebastian. That Mark on your arm… It's a death sentence."

"Which is why I'm here," Albus interjected, he needed to make his offer while the fear was fresh. "I have reignited the Order of the Phoenix in order to fight back against Lord Voldemort." Everyone on the table shuddered, and Albus decided to not use his name again.

"That name is not allowed in this house," Sebastian frowned, he could feel his Dark Mark stir for a moment when it heard the name of its Master.

"Forgive me," Albus nodded, and then his expression softened. "During the last war, I made the mistake of not seeking out former Slytherins. And many paid the price for my foolishness. I humbly ask for your forgiveness." The others exchanged slow looks, and then Susana nudged her husband.

"It… It was a… difficult time, Headmaster," James sighed out, and Albus looked to Sebastian. The pale man was just staring at Albus, and Albus could see no mercy in his eyes. Sebastian Greengrass does not forgive, nor does he forget. I wonder if he understands that his influence on Ronald is one of the factors twisting his apprentice.

"We may be bitter about it, but we understand, Headmaster," Mary said, her eyes resting on her husband for a moment.

"I have vowed to do better this time," Albus promised them. "Which is why I have come to you four. I wish to extend an invitation to you all."

"You want us to join your 'Order of the Phoenix'?" Sebastian asked, even he hadn't foreseen this.

"Arthur Weasley speaks highly of you, Sebastian," Albus said, and Sebastian nodded slowly. As does your apprentice.

"Arthur Weasley? Your apprentice's father?" James asked Sebastian, and the pale man nodded.

"We have become… allies," Sebastian told James. "I have told you this, my friend."

"I know, but to hear that he recommended you to Albus Dumbledore…" James smiled weakly. "I must meet this delusional fool."

"And you will, if you choose to fight by our side," Albus said, and everyone looked to him. "War is coming, there is no denying it now. All of our lives are in danger, and unless we come together, everything we hold dear will be ripped from our chests. The Dark Lord will show no semblance of mercy, for he does not understand it."

"Our children?" Susana asked, and Mary quickly nodded.

"Will be protected, just like all the children of Hogwarts," Albus replied. "And once they come of age, they can decide on their own Futures."

"And how much of our wealth do you need?" Sebastian asked.

"Enough to stockpile rations and secure multiple safe-houses," Albus replied, and Sebastian nodded at his honesty. "The Order was not funded well during the last war, and so our defense suffered greatly at the hands of the Dark Lord's never-ending horde. But with your help, we can prepare for a war from within the shadows. And when the time comes, we will also involve the Ministry."

"We?" Mary asked, and Albus smiled at her. I need to be careful with them. They're not like the others.

"The Order," Albus replied.

"Do the other members know that you are here?" James asked. "Forgive my bluntness, Headmaster, but the Order is notoriously filled up with Gryffindors. We will not be accepted, nor trusted."

"Hearts can be swayed with time, James, as I'm sure you know," Albus smiled at the man and his wife, who managed weak smiles in return. He spent weeks making a fool of himself for Susana's attention, while Horace was nearly driven mad with frustration. "I will not force your hands in this. And if you need time to think this through, then I will patiently await your owls."

"We're in," Susana said firmly, and her husband nodded his agreement. "We see very little choice, truth be told. The Dark Lord will burn this World down, and we have a daughter to protect."

"Sebastian? Mary?" Albus asked, and the two of them exchanged looks.

"Sebastian, mate… Australia is not the way forward," James urged, while Sebastian rubbed his left forearm under the table. "Just as Germany wasn't the way forward… If you run, the Dark Lord will fire a Curse straight into your back."

"I'll stay," Mary volunteered, and Sebastian looked to her immediately. "If they want to put me in another cage, then they can certainly try. A lot has changed since the last war." Sebastian stared at his wife for a few moments, and then he looked to Albus.

"I will lend you my wand, and my vaults," Sebastian said curtly. "And in return, you will keep our children safe. All of our children."

"I will do my best, but I will not lie to you either… War is never without casualties," Albus told them, and they all nodded. "Wait for my Phoenix. He will come to you before our next meeting."

---

Lord Voldemort's POV

Friday 2nd October, 1993 (Potrebbe (Tuscany) – Nightfall)

Lord Voldemort stared at his reflection in the water, and despite his modifications via Human Transfiguration, he was not be satisfied. He had shortened his teeth, made his skin more translucent, lengthened his fingers, grown his body to his former height, and shaved his head clean of Pettigrew's dead and wispy hair. But he was still not satisfied. This was not his body… It was the body of a rat, one that had groveled at Lord Voldemort's feet once. In a way, I am still possessing vermin in order to survive.

The Dark Lord had tracked Lucius and Cornelius to Tuscany, which wasn't very hard to do. Cornelius had made the mistake of trusting his Head-Elf with the information, and the Dark Lord had ripped that information out of the Elf's mind whilst it was shopping. In truth, Lord Voldemort planned to punish both men for their failure to find him when he needed them most. Cornelius clearly only yearned for Lord Voldemort's return after his wife's death, whereas Lucius had attempted to take over the Death-Eaters himself. They would both suffer at his hands, but not yet. For now, he needed to rebuild his army. He needed to free his true servants.

The Dark Lord waved his hand over the water, and ripples fluttered across the small lake. And then, the water showed him visions of Cornelius and Lucius. They were so very close. Both men were residing in an inn not far from the Magical village of Potrebbe. Your Lord comes for you, my slippery friends.

The Dark Lord glided over the water, the moonlight glistening off of his pale, translucent skin. And then, he took to the skies. He had missed flying in an actual body, but it still didn't feel right. He couldn't feel the wind against his skin, that pleasure was reserved for the husk of Peter Pettigrew. The Dark Lord felt nothing in his host's body, which only served to remind him of his current state. He was simply wearing another man's skin, and sooner or later, that skin would begin to decay. He knew how to create his new body, all he needed now were the ingredients.

The Dark Lord landed in front of the inn without a sound, his dark robes coming to life in order shield his visage from prying eyes. With a wave of his hand, he opened the door and slithered in. The inn was teeming with wizards and witches, all of them drinking heartily as they sang something in Italian. No one payed him any mind as he moved towards the stairs, dark robes were nothing new within these sorts of establishments. As he reached the top floor, he felt that he had passed a Ward. A Detection Ward? They do not wish to be disturbed.

"We told you that we did not need your services," Lucius hissed as he exited his room, his cane gripped tightly in his left hand. Cornelius stepped out from behind Lucius, his old face tightened in an outraged sneer. They rented the entire top floor… Arrogant fools. Both men stopped sneering at the sight of the cloaked figure, their wands slowly coming out.

"Identify yourself," Cornelius ordered, his wand suddenly aimed at Lord Voldemort.

"Put away your wand, Cornelius," Lord Voldemort hissed, and the two men exchanged slow looks.

"You know who we are?" Lucius demanded.

"You are my servants," Lord Voldemort said, and then he pulled back his hood. Lucius and Cornelius froze in their spots, their faces turning blank from sheer terror. Finally, some respect.

"My… My… Lord…?" Lucius stammered, while Cornelius fell to his knees and bowed his head. Lucius quickly followed suit, and Lord Voldemort's lips curled into a smile. Both men were shaking slightly as the Dark Lord glided across the hallway, and once he was standing over them, they bowed their heads even lower.

"My Lord, I prostate myself before you," Cornelius spoke, his voice a mixture of glee and fear. "I am your most faithful!"

"And you, Lucius?" Lord Voldemort hissed, his eyes burning like hot coals. "Are you… faithful? I hear that you have not renounced the Old Ways, though to the World you present a respectable face. You even possess the Minister's ear."

"I am ever your servant, my Lord," Lucius spoke to the floorboards.

"And yet, not once did you attempt to find me," Lord Voldemort whispered dangerously. "Neither of you."

"We have been searching without rest, my Lord," Cornelius managed, his glee completely gone.

"My Lord, we were constantly on the alert," Lucius said, and Lord Voldemort's eyes burned brighter because of his growing rage. Lies! "Had there been any sign, any whisper, of your whereabouts, I would have come to your side immediately. Nothing would prevent-"

"There were signs, my slippery friend," Lord Voldemort hissed. "There were whispers. I have heard tales of your grand surrender, Lucius. And I must confess myself… disappointed. I expect more faithful service in the Future."

"Of course, my Lord," Lucius said quickly. "Of course… You are merciful, as always… Thank you…"

"And you, Cornelius? Do I have your word?" Lord Voldemort asked, and Cornelius reached forward and touched his Lord's feet. The gesture pleased the Dark Lord, he could sense the old wizard's devotion.

"You have my word, my Lord," Cornelius promised. "Allow me the honor to fight by your side once again, and I will cut down your enemies without remorse."

"You have my sympathies for your wife's murder, Cornelius," Lord Voldemort spoke in a calmer voice. "I assume that the Muggle filth who dared to spill Magical Blood has been dealt with."

"I killed him myself, my Lord," Cornelius admitted. "I skinned him alive and fed him to my dogs, just like the old days."

"Well done… Well done…" Lord Voldemort nodded. "I will need your rage in the coming days, my old Knight."

"You have it," Cornelius looked up with a proud smile, he was the last remaining Knight of Walpurgis. Lucius slowly looked up as well, and Lord Voldemort could sense that his smile was forced.

"We have work to do," Lord Voldemort told his servants, who nodded obediently. "Come… There is nothing in Tuscany for us."

"Where do we go, my Lord?" Lucius asked.

"To War," Lord Voldemort replied, his eyes burning with blood-lust.

---

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I hope you guys enjoyed that! I would give you hints, but I've been up all night finishing this chapter up. I'm exhausted!

See you guys on Sunday for the EIGHTIETH Chapter!