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.

106. Chapter 106 - Saving Britain

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Chapter 106 is finished! Life is still a bit difficult, but things are now looking up at least.

Anyway, please enjoy!

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

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

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'Remind yourself that overconfidence is a slow, and insidious, killer' - The Ancestor from Darkest Dungeon

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Fate

Chapter 106 – Saving Britain

Ronald Weasley's POV

Monday 21st December, 1993 (Longbottom Manor – Night)

Ron and Madame Maxime stepped through the fireplace, they had just dropped off Fawkes with Dumbledore. Much to Ron's surprise, the Greeting Room was devoid of any French, however, Percy was lingering about. Ron and Madame Maxime's footsteps alerted Ron's older brother, who immediately approached them.

"Perce? Where are the French?" Ron asked.

"They're in the Living Room with Neville's grandmother," Percy replied, and then he gave Madame Maxime a respectful nod. "Madame Maxime."

"You must be Percy Ignatius Weasley," Madame Maxime said. She's obviously looked into my Family Tree. "Are all the French here?"

"We're missing Miss. Travers," Percy replied as they all began heading for the Living Room. Emilia isn't here? "Sirius is the one looking for her, so I'm sure she'll be here soon enough." Isn't she at his house?

"Have the French been told of why we've called this meeting?" Ron asked.

"Aunt Muriel and Mrs. Longbottom are speaking to them now," Percy said, a slight grimace marking his features. "It's not looking good, Ron… Some of the French are insulted by this attack. Mrs. Abadie is trying to start something, but I'm not sure what… I think the French had plans of some sort."

"Plans?" Ron asked, his eyes darting towards Madame Maxime.

"I have not heard anything of any plans," Madame Maxime told him. "But I am not surprised in the least. 'Nobles' always have something to gain, so it's hardly surprising that we're in this situation."

Ron didn't know why, but his intuition was telling him that something was horribly wrong here. What sort of plans do the French have? Only Emilia and the Heroux Family were willing to bring their businesses to Britain, so this legislation only really hurts them. Why has Lady Abadie found herself a lover within the British Ministry? Truth be told, I only brought the French here to help with St. Mungo's and the Order.

"Ronald?" Madame Maxime called, and Ron broke out of his thoughts.

"Is Lady Abadie the only one trying to start something?" Ron asked Percy. I know that she wants to control the Veela community. She tried to get the Headmaster's help on that during the Order's meeting with the French.

"No," Percy replied. "A couple of others have also raised their voices against the legislation. Christina Couture called you incompetent for not intercepting our countrymen, which led to Charlie defending you in a rather aggressive manner. Christina then started staring at him, and Charlie just went dead quiet. Like he was struggling with something…" What?

"She used her allure on him?" Ron was outraged.

"That girl…" Madame Maxime pinched the bridge of her nose. "We need to stop this growing tension between our allies, Ronald. If we do not possess a united front, then we will fail tomorrow."

"Are you really going to the Ministry tomorrow?" Percy asked them. "Dad mentioned that you plan to storm the Minister's Office."

"We need to convince the Minister that this legislation is going to cause further hostility between the French and the British," Ron replied. "There are… larger things… at play, Perce." I can't tell him about the Triwizard Tournament. It's a closely guarded secret, after all.

"Larger things?" Percy asked. "Something big is happening?"

"Yes, but we cannot tell you about it," Madame Maxime said. "Nor can we tell the French or the British." Why is that, though?

The three of them entered the Living Room, and Ron found the room completely divided. The French, except for the Lenoirs and the Delacours, were sitting away from Ron's British allies. Lady Abadie seemed to be at the center of the angrier French, which consisted of the Ancars, the Donadieus, and Christina Couture. Christina is standing with Lady Abadie, but not her own parents?

"Finally," Lady Beaumont said when she saw Madame Maxime, a glimmer of relief on her face. "Olympe, please shed some light on what has happened."

"So you're finally here?" Lord Donadieu had his eyes fixed on Ron. "Why are your countrymen persecuting us in this manner? Why didn't you do anything to stop them?" What a welcome… I have to be civil here, or these people will walk away from Britain. From the Order, even.

"Firstly, we need to keep a civil tone in this room," Madame Maxime shut down Lord Donadieu with a single look. "We are all friends here, and any infighting will only serve to aid our enemies."

"Our enemies?" Christina scoffed at Madame Maxime, which earned her looks of genuine surprise from the other French. She has the balls to disrespect Madame Maxime? Yeah, something is definitely not right here. Why is Lady Abadie so pleased with Christina's rudeness? "Our enemies are old men who've lived well past their-"

"Be silent, foolish girl," Lady Longbottom frowned from the other side of the room. "You disgrace your own parents by speaking to Headmistress Maxime in that tone."

"Christina, sit down," Lady Couture said, a genuinely cross look on her face.

"It's alright, dear, take a seat next to me," Lady Abadie said gently, though her eyes were fixed on Ron. Why is she staring at me like that? "Monsieur Weasley, it is good to see you again."

"Likewise, Lady Abadie," Ron said. "I… don't see your husband here. Is he not attending?"

"He is in France," Lady Abadie smiled. "I sent him away to take care of my businesses." My? Not ours? Also, did she send him away so she could cheat on him?

Ron and Madame Maxime stood in the center of the room, while Percy walked over and waited by Arthur's side. Ron shot his Family a quick smile, just to let them know that he was alright. I can't have them jumping down anyone's throat on my behalf. It'll just hinder me.

"What have you all been told so far?" Madame Maxime asked the French.

"Lady Prewett tells us that a legislation was passed specifically to target foreigners," Lord Lenoir replied. "She has also told us that Lord Corban Yaxley is behind this legislation, and that he has the support of Minister Fudge." Thank you, Aunt Muriel. At least we don't have to explain the situation now.

"We do not know whether or not the Minister is helping them," Ron started. "For all we know, he is being blackmailed into this. Madame Maxime and I-"

"There is no blackmail," Lady Ancar interrupted him. "Your Minister is a corrupt toad, and he has sided with the worst of the British in order to line his own pockets. Honestly… You people are so uncivilized." Pardon?

"We're uncivilized?" Aunt Muriel sneered. "How many men have you spread your legs for in order to get here?" Good Lord…

"How dare you?!" Lord Ancar stood up, while Ron shot his Great-Aunt a frown. This woman… She'll give me a heart attack at this rate.

"Forgive my Great-Aunt's rudeness, she is very passionate about Britain," Ron said, his eyes fixed on Aunt Muriel. "Let us not turn into petty children… We are facing a very dangerous enemy, one that has already made his move against us. We need to be united, now more than ever."

"Ronald is right," Madame Maxime stared at Lord Ancar. "Adam, sit down."

Lord Ancar glared at Aunt Muriel for a few seconds, but eventually, he did as Madame Maxime had ordered.

"Do we have any way of fighting against this legislation?" Lady Heroux asked. "My husband and I planned to expand our business into Britain, but now, we are left shorthanded." I need to help their business for Daphne's sake.

"Ronald and I have decided to speak with Minister Fudge tomorrow," Madame Maxime replied. "We need to convince him that this legislation will only isolate Magical Britain from the rest of the Wizarding World."

"You think he doesn't know that?" Lady Abadie laughed in a mocking manner. "Olympe, you are being naïve, my dear." Alright, she's starting to annoy me. What are you up to, Poppy Abadie? "The Minister's puppet masters know that their legislation will isolate Britain. It is exactly what they want." Lady Abadie then stood up, her eyes scanning her fellow French Citizens. "My friends, Magical Britain has always been a backwards country. They are afraid of change, and they always will be. Let us not forget that their greatest achievement, the creation of wands, came about after they massacred the Fae."

"And let us not forget where you Veelas come from," Lady Longbottom stood up as well. Not you as well.

"Lady Longbottom, please don't-" Ron started, but he was interrupted by Lady Abadie.

"Yes, our ancestors came from the mountains," Lady Abadie said. "But ever since we integrated ourselves into France's politics, our country has become the envy of the Wizarding World."

"Arrogant, and full of delusions," came Emilia Travers' voice, and Ron turned to see her entering the room with Sirius. "Why am I not surprised, Lady Abadie?"

"Ah, the warmonger joins us at last," Lady Abadie smiled at Emilia. "Take a seat, girl, maybe you will learn something."

"Or maybe, I'll shove my-" Emilia started, but Sirius nudged her rather noticeably.

"Uncouth, as usual," Christina just frowned at Emilia. "Lady Abadie, please continue."

"Christina, what is the meaning of this?" Lord Couture asked his daughter, while Ron and Madame Maxime exchanged looks. What is going on here?

Once again, Ron's intuition began to warn him, but he could do little but stare at Lady Abadie.

"Be quiet, father," Christina smirked at her father, which earned her shocked looks from her parents. "The women are speaking."

"The British are savages," Lady Abadie went on. "They have started not one, but two global wars in the last century. I believe that it is past time that we colonized them."

"Colonized?" Lord Greengrass demanded, while Ron and Madame Maxime were rather taken aback. What the fuck is she doing?

"My allies here," Lady Abadie ignored Lord Greengrass, and the Ancars, the Donadieus, and Christina stood up. "We have been in contact with the larger Veela community over the last few days, and we have nearly reached a consensus. Britain is a problem, one that needs to be solved as quickly as possible."

"What have you done?" Madame Maxime stepped forward, a furious look on her face.

"I have done what no other Veela before me has," Lady Abadie smiled arrogantly. "I have convinced the Veela tribes of the mountains to join me. And it is all thanks to Ronald Bilius Weasley."

"What do you mean?" Ron asked.

"Men are weak," Lady Abadie said, her eyes fixed on Ron. "And they are foolish. It is a shame that you are no different, boy… I had such high hopes for 'Le fléau de Vélane', but alas, you are a naïve young man who thinks that he can sit with the adults if he makes enough noise."

"But you're just a brat," Christina added.

"Do not speak of my son in such a manner," Arthur fumed, while the other French were just staring at Lady Abadie's company. "He is fighting to help other-"

"When the Veela tribes heard about a young man who could resist us, they realized that they needed to wake up," Lady Abadie interrupted Arthur. "I approached them before coming here, and although they were skeptical at first, they have since joined my cause. The Wizarding World is ruled by decrepit, corrupt old men, and it is past time that they were put in their place. We must unite against them now, or they will ruin this World."

"Are you mad?!" Lord Couture shot out of his seat. "Christina, come over here at once!"

"No," Christina sneered at her father.

"Do as your father commands!" Lady Couture's appearance turned almost bestial, and Christina suddenly took a step back. What the hell is that? She looks… bird-like.

"Your daughter is wiser than you, Eretria," Lady Abadie moved in front of Christina.

"You have filled her with your venom!" Lady Couture accused.

"You are suggesting war!" Madame Maxime looked outraged, while Ron genuinely felt out of place. The fucking French have lost it. They're turning on each other.

"I am suggesting the only logical thing here," Lady Abadie countered.

"Poppy is right," Lady Ancar said, and then she looked to the others. "We are Veelas, and we must be united against the World. It has always been this way, and if we lose sight of that now, then we will be eradicated. Even now, our blood is diluted beyond repair. The Veela tribes of the mountains understood this, while our ancestors didn't."

"So you plan to conquer the World?" Ron demanded, his Calming Draught was almost out of his system.

"Not conquer, boy," Lord Donadieu replied. "We will reeducate it."

"The time is right, my brothers and sisters," Lady Abadie looked to her fellow countrymen. "If we do not act now, then we will regret it forever. How long have we been subject to prosecution by Wizards?"

"Your kind is subject to prosecution because of idiots like you," Emilia snarled, and this time, Sirius didn't stop her. "You abuse your power in order to sate your never ending greed, and that will never change."

"See this?" Lady Abadie asked the other French. "See the hatred she has for our kind?"

"All they see is someone who wants to build herself a throne," Emilia said immediately. "Unlike you, they actually came here to help better the relationship between the French and the English. You, Lady Abadie, wish to start a war just so you can feel important."

"Lady Travers speaks the truth," Lady Lenoir said, while the Heroux Family distanced themselves from Lady Abadie. "This is a monstrous betrayal!"

"We are betraying nothing!" Christina spoke up. "It is you who is betraying your heritage! You actually listen, and dance, to the tune of this boy?! His balls haven't even dropped yet!"

Arguments erupted all over the room, but Ron didn't join in. He just stood there, his eyes fixed on the traitors. Deep in the back of his mind, Ron had slowly come to realize a terrible truth. Corban Yaxley had been right about the Veelas. Unlike Ron, he had figured out that some of the Veelas were motivated by their greed, and with their power to dominate others, they were an extremely dangerous force. And I brought them all to England… I thought that they'd join the Order of the Phoenix in order to fight our common foe, but they care more about securing power for themselves than they do about stopping the Dark Lord.

Was he really that naïve? Had he projected his values onto others simply because they were a minority? These Veelas had to understand that the Dark Lord would kill them all, right? So why were they doing this? Why were they betraying their own?

"Greed," the Entity whispered to Ron. "Power is their opiate… You are a fool… You have always been a fool… Poor little Champion, always seeking the help of others because he is too weak to win on his own…"

Ron looked to Madame Maxime, and he found her yelling at Lady Abadie. She looked angrier than he had ever seen her, and Ron understood why. If this came out, the French and the British would be at war. The Triwizard Tournament would not only fall apart, but the French and the British would be fighting for years. All our work is coming undone… Did we really trust too lightly? Did I really cause all of this?

"The French Ministry will not stand for this!" Madame Maxime snapped.

"We are the French Ministry," Lady Abadie sneered, her beauty marred by her disgust. "One word from me, and the Minister will come running to my side like a well-trained dog. Unlike the British, he knows his place."

"You are not the only Veela with connections to the French Ministry," Madam Delacour hissed. "You will cause a civil war, you fool!"

"Not if you join us," Lady Abadie said. "The Delacours may not be counted as an Old Family, but your Veela Blood runs strong. Join us, all of you… We can achieve so much together."

"Never," Lady Beaufort hissed, and mostly every Veela nodded.

But that's when Lord and Lady Beaumont slowly moved over to Lady Abadie's camp, and the room was once again engulfed in outrage. Lord and Lady Beaumont ignored the appalled looks of their former allies, while Lady Abadie, and her conspirators, looked more than pleased.

"I regret being late to this party," came Dumbledore's voice from behind Ron, and he immediately turned to face the smiling Headmaster.

The room went dead silent, and every eye was fixed on the old man. Dumbledore simply looked around the room with a pleasant smile, his twinkling eyes lingering on Lady Abadie.

"Albus," Madame Maxime looked almost relieved.

"I heard that my star pupil was in a pickle, so I decided to offer him my counsel," Dumbledore shot Ron a wink, but for some reason, Ron found himself looking down in shame. He's here to clean up my mess, isn't he? I don't understand why this is happening… We're meant to fight against the Dark Lord, not each other.

"Dumbledore, this Abadie woman has lost her mind," Arthur stepped forward, though his eyes were fixed on Ron. "She wants to start a war with… everyone!"

"Does she?" Dumbledore chuckled, much to everyone shock. "Is this true, Poppy?"

"There doesn't have to be a war," Lady Abadie replied, her eyes focusing on Dumbledore's. "We wish to help educate you, and others like you, to be more… open-minded. For too long, the witches of the Wizarding World have been forced to play housewives for foolish old men like you."

"Really?" Dumbledore asked. "I don't remember finding myself a housewife in my youth. No, I was always too busy for such pursuits." Dumbledore then patted Ron's arm. "Ronald, why don't you and Percy step outside for a bit? I fear that secrets will come out that you two are not ready to hear just yet."

Ron gave Dumbledore a confused look, but then he realized that he wasn't meant to know anything about the Order. I'm just… a kid, aren't I? I don't understand why they are being so foolish. We are under attack, and they are trying to secure power for themselves? This is the sort of thing that I have to put up with in Slytherin, but clearly, these adults are no different. Why are they so shortsighted?

"Percy, take your brother outside," Arthur said, and Percy slowly made his way over to Ron.

"Yes, it is past your bedtime, Le fléau de Vélane," Christina Couture jeered, and Ron just shot her a withering look. You're being used by Poppy Abadie… You won't get anything at the end of this.

"Ron, let's just go, yeah?" Percy pulled at his arm, and Ron just let Percy pull him away.

Ron was truly shaken by the shallowness of his former allies. So shaken, in fact, that he had quickly begun to blame himself for bringing them here. The worst part about all of this was that Corban Yaxley, a damn Death-Eater, was clearly more intelligent than Ron. Unlike Ron, or even Madame Maxime, Yaxley clearly understood that people like Lady Abadie had only come to Britain in order to vie for power. Madame Maxime at least had the privilege of letting bias blind her, but Ron had no excuse. These were the same people who had tried to kill him over a trophy, and he had let his guard down because everything was going his way.

"The avatar of change…" the Entity mocked him, and Ron tried to ignore the Old God.

"Why didn't you warn me?" Ron thought as Percy led him out of the room. "Why do you never help me? Isn't that your job? We're meant to be a team…"

"We grow tired of your incompetence," the Entity snarled. "Learn from this, Champion… You mortals are small, weak, and pathetic creatures… Not one of you are worth saving… The only way for your Cycles to end is for you to embrace this truth… Kill them all, Champion, and you can be free…"

While Percy shut the door behind them, Ron rubbed his face as he ignored the Entity's madness. Until Percy put his arm around Ron's shoulders, Ron hadn't even realized that he had been sent away.

"The Headmaster will solve this, Ron," Percy said, while Ron just stared ahead with an expressionless mask. "There won't be a war… I'm pretty sure that the Veelas don't want that."

"I brought them to Britain," Ron spoke to himself. "Lady Abadie has been trying to infiltrate our Ministry, and I'm sure that her allies have been doing the same thing."

"What?" Percy blinked.

"They used me, Perce," Ron said. "They fucking used me to get into Britain, and for the small fee of five hundred Galleons each, I opened the flood gates."

"Ron, it won't go that far," Percy said, though he himself didn't believe that this was happening. "I've read that politics can get really dirty at times, but there's always someone who cleans up the mess."

"Mess?" Ron looked to Percy, who quickly bit his tongue. "No… You're right. I… I really fucked up, I think, and the Headmaster has to get involved now."

His head was spinning because of what had just happened. Never in his life had he witnessed such greed-driven foolishness, and for the first time in a long time, Ron felt like little Ronnie again. Powerless. Lost. Weak. He was even unsure of what to do next, a feeling that he hadn't dealt with since… Since when? Should I just leave? The Headmaster is here, and he'll take care of it. No… No, I can't just leave. But if I stay, what can I even do? I've given people like Lady Abadie the chance to do this. Have I just made things worse? The fact that he had made his friend's life much harder than it needed to be gnawed at Ron, and he found himself dazed by guilt and self-loathing. Idiot. Idiot! Fucking idiot!

"Ron? Are you listening?" Percy shook him lightly, and Ron rubbed his face again. What next? What do I do next? "Ron? Say something."

"Just… Just give me a second…" Ron managed, his shaking hands still on his face. Hand tremors… They're back? The Calming Draught wore off?

Ron tried to picture himself on Stoatshead Hill, but sadly for him, he was too jarred to focus on his below average Occlumency. Stoatshead Hill… That's where I should go. Ron began walking forward, he would find his answers there. Once he was away from everyone, once he was completely alone, he'd find a solution to the mess he had created. I just need a place to think, that's all. I can still fix this. Maybe…

"Ron, where are you going?" Percy followed after him, he was genuinely starting to get worried.

"Alone… I want to be alone," Ron quickened his pace in the hopes of getting away from Percy.

Before Ron knew it, he was preparing a floo jump to the Burrow.

"Ron, just wait," Percy tried to stop Ron, but an off-handed shove from his little brother nearly toppled him. Leave me alone. Just let me think, for Merlin's sake.

"The Burrow," Ron called as he threw the floo-powder at the flames.

Due to his trembling hands, only a little bit of floo-powder got into the flames, but it was enough to activate the floo jump. Ron stepped through the fire, and he found himself standing in the Living Room of his childhood home. The Trio, the twins, Ginny, Theo, Malfoy, Luna, Pandora, and Molly were occupying the Living Room, and as soon as Ron came into sight, they immediately looked to him.

"You're back," Pandora smiled in relief.

"Ronnie?" Molly noticed her son's upset state first.

"Ron, what happened?" Pandora asked as her smile disappeared, but Ron just found himself staring at everyone. Too many people… I can't breathe in here.

"I have to go…" Ron rasped, and then he began making his way towards the Kitchen.

Percy followed Ron through the open floo, his eyes darting around in an effort to find Ron.

"What's going on with him?" Fred asked Percy.

"Some of my allies betrayed me…" Ron managed, and then he was inside the Kitchen. "No, they did what people do… I just didn't see it coming…" Power is their opiate, right? Why didn't you warn me, Entity? What game are you playing?

"Ronald, stop," Molly was the first one on his tail, and she managed to grab him just as he neared the back exit. "It's starting to get really late! Where are you going?!"

"Alone… Just leave me alone," Ron tugged his arm free, and then he stepped out into the cool night.

The cold breeze hit him hard, and Ron felt his legs nearly give out. The cold air bit at his sweaty skin, and Ron's breathing became labored. He felt like he was trapped within a metal coffin, and so he desperately tried to fill his lungs with air. The World spun around him, and Ron started to sway with it. Before he could fall over, his mother was desperately trying to hold him up. My Potion… I forgot to have the second dose…

"Ronnie! Help!" Molly shrieked, and Ron heard people burst through the door. "Fred! George!"

Ron felt hands grab him, but at this point, his vision was starting to blur.

"Weak, just like your previous incarnations," the Entity growled, and Ron felt himself drifting away. "Learn from this, Champion… Destroy all those who oppose you, or you will continue to fail…"

"Learn from this…" Ron muttered as if he were in a trance, and then, darkness took him.

---

Albus Dumbledore's POV

Monday 21st December, 1993 (Longbottom Manor – Night)

Albus had indeed come down to offer Ronald counsel. After seeing how worried Ronald was about the French, Albus had found himself feeling guilty for not stopping this mess in the first place. The Order had to come first, but at the same time, Albus had come to see Ronald as a friend rather than a student. Of course, Albus had always tried to stay away from politics, especially after Ariana, but the thought of Ronald fighting alone had been unbearable. The boy had been through far too much, and Albus couldn't let him do this alone.

So imagine Albus' surprise when he had walked in on another possible war declaration. Albus didn't blame Ronald for this, how could he? This was all Poppy Abadie's doing, but Ronald's reaction to this betrayal had once again proven to Albus that Ronald was still only thirteen. The poor boy had put his faith in the goodness of people, and his reward was betrayal and humiliation. Some of the people in this room were lucky that Albus hadn't drawn his wand yet.

"What a naïve disappointment he turned out to be," Lady Donadieu said just as Percy sealed the door behind himself.

"Not naïve, Lady Donadieu," Albus turned to face the conspirators, his facade of innocent old man completely gone. "Ronald put his faith in people, which, as it happens, is a very difficult thing for him, and you all rewarded his faith with betrayal." Control, Albus. Do not let emotion drive this conversation.

Lady Abadie cocked her eyebrow, while Christina Couture rolled her eyes from boredom.

"Albus, I am sorry about these… traitors," Olympe looked both embarrassed, and outraged, at the same time.

"This isn't on you, my friend," Albus said, and then he stepped forward with his hardened eyes fixed on Lady Abadie. "What has brought this about, Poppy? Why are you doing this now of all times? You understand the threat that we all face, don't you?"

"The Dark Lord?" Poppy asked. "He is a man, one who can be controlled like the rest of you."

"Control the Dark Lord?" Sirius snarled. "Are you fucking insane?!"

"He'll slaughter all of you," Emilia added. "You are leading innocents to their deaths, you harpy."

"Lord Voldemort is widely considered to be the most powerful Legilimens to have ever lived," Albus told them. "I assure you, his Occlumency is just as powerful." Though he feels no need to use it. Who would dare invade his twisted mind?

"Could he withstand thirty Veelas?" Lady Abadie asked rather arrogantly.

"My son withstood fifty of you," Arthur hissed, his face was red with righteous anger.

"He is clearly an aberrant," Lord Ancar stated. "But as we all just saw, he is only a boy."

"A boy who cannot even keep track of his own allies, let alone his enemies," Lady Ancar added.

"So he was meant to see this betrayal coming?" Sebastian asked coldly. He needs to be spoken to. I fear that he will retaliate in a violent manner. Unlike Arthur and Sirius, Sebastian has no qualms with killing his enemies.

"You should be ashamed of yourselves," Susanna said. "He brought you here to help a hospital for God's sake."

"We are veering off topic," Lady Abadie was growing bored with these people. "Albus, we can still be allies." No, we can't.

"Is that so?" Albus asked.

"The word 'war' is being thrown around, but we have no intention of starting a war," Lady Abadie stepped forward. "I have spoken to the Veela tribes of the mountains, and they have agreed to follow me. I can bring them to Britain in order to help the Order in its fight against the Dark One."

"You think we'll trust you after this?" Sirius demanded. "Dumbledore, tell these bitches to go back to their frog-eating shithole of a country!"

"Sirius, control yourself," Albus said calmly, and the man gnashed his own teeth in anger. "You want me to allow the Veela tribes to come into the country, Poppy?"

"You are the most powerful man in Magical Britain," Poppy said. "Perhaps even the Wizarding World… If you welcome us personally, many will accept us into the country." And you will begin 'reeducating' us.

"You think we'll just let you infiltrate our government?" Muriel asked. "You are drunk on vanity, girl. It is past time that you removed yourself from our presence."

"Albus, think about it," Lady Abadie ignored Muriel. "An army of Veelas at your disposal. The Order could win the war within the year."

Albus just stared at her, and he couldn't deny that her proposition was tempting. With a few hundred Veelas, Albus could easily control the free Death-Eaters, and in doing so, cripple the Dark Lord's army before it could be brought together. And yet, he knew that he could never accept this offer. I have made deals with the Devil before, and they always come at a terrible cost.

"You will leave Britain tonight," Albus said, and Lady Abadie lost the false charm on her face. "Those who are following you in your madness will also leave."

"And if we don't?" Christina challenged.

"Do not challenge me, child," Albus said, and the walls began to quake.

The French immediately shot panicked looks around, and even Lady Abadie seemed to realize that she was now overstaying her welcome. Albus quickly controlled his residual Magic, but the fear of the Grand Sorcerer's power had been driven into their heads already. Even Albus' own allies had gone deathly silent, including Olympe Maxime.

"Leave," Albus stepped aside, his eyes fixed on Lady Abadie's. "Abandon your mad dreams of conquest, or you will face me sooner than you think." I will not allow you to damage this Cycle. I will not allow Ronald to suffer through another one.

---

Theodore Nott's POV

Monday 21st December, 1993 (The Burrow – Night)

Theo and Malfoy stepped out of the way as the twins, with the help of Percy, carried Ron into the Living Room. Molly Weasley was hysterical, which only served to incite more panic from the other children. Even Theo, who knew that he could be cold at times, was fidgeting with nervousness. Ron had collapsed, and although there was no seizure this time, his paler than usual skin didn't sit right with Theo. All Ron had mentioned was that some of his allies had betrayed him, and Theo figured that the French weren't as honest as Ron had initially thought.

Was Theo surprised by the French? No, absolutely not. Theo had grown up with nobility, and he knew that they lived for power and control. He himself dreamed of becoming a powerful Lord one day, after all. When Ron had first told the group about his alliance with the French, both Blaise and Theo had warned him not to trust the French, but sadly, Ron had taken their warnings the wrong way. He had accused them of being wary of foreigners, and although he was right, it had still upset both Theo and Blaise. Somehow, I don't feel good about being proven right. If anything, it boils my blood that they proved to be just as unreliable as I initially thought. Why am I bothered with being proven right?

"We need to contact a Healer," Molly urged Pandora, who seemed jarred for a change.

"Who?" Pandora asked. "St. Mungo's isn't reopening until the thirty-first of December. Who do we contact?"

Theo noticed Malfoy drawing in a deep breath, and then, the pale blonde stepped forward.

"Madam Pomfrey is at Hogwarts," Malfoy told them, and every eye darted to him. "She told me that her Office is always open… She can help him. I can go fetch her." Really? You? What in the fuck?

The shock was quite evident, and even Molly Weasley was surprised to see Draco Malfoy stepping forward like this. Malfoy shot a look towards Ron, who was now passed out on the couch, and he drew in another deep breath. He breathes deeply just like Ron… Is it some sort of calming exercise?

"I owe him," Malfoy said, and then he walked over to the fireplace. Wake up, Theo! What would Daphne do right now? "Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts."

The sound of the fireplace roaring to life pushed Theo forward, and he found himself checking Ron's inner suit pockets. Where is it? I bet it's still in there.

"What are you doing?" Potter asked Theo, and Theo felt his fingers wrap around a small vial. Ron, you idiot.

Theo pulled out the vial of unused Nutrition Potion, making sure to keep it hidden from everyone else.

"Mrs. Weasley, Mrs. Lovegood… Can I speak with you?" Theo asked, while the other children just lingered about in a confused daze.

Theo didn't wait for a response, and he quickly moved to the other side of the room. Pandora and Molly joined him just as quickly, while the others tried to listen in despite this being over their heads.

"What is it, Theodore?" Pandora asked in a hushed whisper, and Theo showed them the vial in a subtle manner.

"He didn't have his dose," Theo whispered, and both women just stared at the vial. "Look, he's probably just exhausted. He's had a long day, and this is not uncommon due to his… frail… health. Right now, we need to keep our heads clear."

"Clear?" Molly mumbled, she didn't know what else to say right now.

"You are scaring the others, Mrs. Weasley," Theo whispered. That was blunt… Damn it, Theo, just calm down a little. How does Daphne do this? It's so stressing.

Pandora and Molly both shot looks back, and after seeing their children, they looked back to Theo with shaken looks.

"He needs a blanket, a pillow, a glass of water, and some food in case he wakes up," Theo listed. What else? What else could he need? "Um… Give me a second, I've never really done this before…"

"Done what?" Pandora asked weakly. Taken charge whenever Ron's sick.

"The others…" Theo suddenly remembered. "Ron wouldn't want them to worry, so please, help me keep this under control. They won't listen to me, but they'll listen to you."

Pandora and Molly both tried to regain their senses, while Theo pocketed the Nutrition Potion. I'll have to give this to him if he wakes up. Did he simply forget to take it? He told us that he needs two doses sometimes, and considering the day he's had, I'd say that he needs this desperately.

"Let's wait for Madam Pomfrey," Molly said as she nodded frantically to herself. Calm down, woman! You're giving me anxiety as well!

"What is going on with him?" one of twins couldn't hold it back anymore, and all three of them looked to the others. "First he goes into a state, and now this? What is going on with him?"

"Tell us right now," the other twin demanded. "Are the rumors true? Is he sick?"

"We deserve to know what's going on with our brother," Ginny added rather angrily. This one… She thinks that just because she's had one civil conversation with Ron, she has the right to demand answers. If she were my sister, I would have kicked her to the curb by now.

Unlike the other children, Luna had planted herself by Ron's side, her small hands pushing the sweaty hair off of his face. The Trio had slowly shrunk into the background, mostly because they had the answers that Ron's siblings were looking for. Ignorance is bliss, isn't it? Pandora looked to Molly, who just rubbed her face harshly.

"Right now, I need all of you to go to your rooms," Molly finally made her decision.

"No," one of the twins refused, and Percy looked less than pleased with them.

"Please, you are making this more difficult for your mother," Pandora told them.

"She's keeping things from us," one of the twins started, but Percy Weasley had reached his limit.

"Telling you three would make little difference," Percy bit out, something that caught his siblings off-guard. "All you do is make him miserable, and now, you're making mother miserable. Get out."

"You can't-" the other twin started.

"I said get the fuck out of this room," Percy snapped, and even Theo averted his gaze. This is taking a scary turn.

"Percy Weasley…" Molly looked aghast.

"You three," Percy looked to the Trio, and they all shrunk in size. "Go up to Ginny's room. Take her with you."

The Trio exchanged looks, and oddly enough, it was Potter who stepped forward first.

"Let's go, Ginny," Potter all but whispered. "C'mon… You can ask questions later… Right now, we're just in the way…"

"He'll be fine," Granger said, though she was a terrible actress.

Ginny looked between Ron and her mother, and then she let out a frustrated grunt.

"Let's just wait until he's awake," Ginny said to the twins. "It's already really crowded in here, and we will get in the way…" Thank Merlin.

"He won't tell us a thing, though," one the twins shook their head.

"I'll talk to him," Molly promised them. "Now, please, just go upstairs."

When the twins didn't move, Ginny decided to be the first one to leave. This prompted the Trio and Luna to follow her out, and eventually, the twins also left. Ron's got no choice now… He has to tell them. As often as they fight, it's quite obvious that they're a very close Family. His siblings won't let this go. Not anymore. Once Molly was sure that her other children were gone, she frowned deeply at Percy.

"I understand that you're worried about Ronnie, but you can't speak to your siblings like that," Molly scolded rather harshly.

"It's not just Ron," Percy sat down, his hands rubbing his face. "You have no idea what I just witnessed…"

"What happened, Percy?" Pandora moved over and rubbed his back. "Why did Ron say that the French betrayed him?"

Percy looked to Theo, who realized that he was the only child in the room. Ron not counting.

"There might be a war soon," Percy finally said, deciding to trust Ron's friends. A war?

An eerie silence filled the room, and Theo found himself staring at Ron. What happened? Is Percy serious? A war? With the French?

"What do you mean by a war?" Molly shot Pandora an odd look.

"Some of the French… They've been plotting behind everyone's backs," Percy replied. "They want to come here with other Veelas in order to 'reeducate' us."

"Reeducate?" Theo asked. "No… They would never dare try that, and even if they did, they wouldn't declare their plans for a war so openly." Something else is happening here? Right?

"I was there," Percy told Theo. "I… I bloody saw them all but threaten conquest…"

"How many of his allies planned this?" Theo asked.

"The Abadies, the Ancars, the Donadieus, and Christina Couture," Percy replied. "The Beaumonts joined them during the meeting."

"So not even half," Theo said as his mind drifted to his father's lessons. "They want something, and so they're puffing themselves up. If they wanted war, they wouldn't tell a room full of people that." Who could they be trying to shake down? Ron?

"They'd get sent to prison," Pandora gave Theo a slow nod.

"This is not an uncommon tactic amongst the Noble Families," Theo explained to everyone. "You threaten change, and mass disturbance, which then results in people giving you what you want. I have no doubt that Corban Yaxley pulled a similar stunt in order to pass his legislation." Did my father help him? Why isn't he replying to my letters?

"So the question is… What do they want?" Molly asked, and then she looked to Ron. "My poor boy…"

"They humiliated him, mother…" Percy looked truly disturbed. "He brought them here for a good cause, and they all but laughed at his 'naivety'. He was more than rattled…" Rattled? Maybe… Ron isn't easily shaken, but maybe seeing just how cut-throat the Noble Families can be shook him. When Blaise and I warned him, he used their minority status to defend them.

"I think Ron's learnt the hard way that even the most 'down-trodden' are capable of schemes and betrayal," Theo said. I mean, it's happened before, but Ron has a forgiving nature when it comes to bigotry. "As for being rattled… That won't last." It never lasts. Ron tends to rise with a vengeance.

"What do you mean?" Molly asked him.

"I've seen this before," Theo told them. "With Potter… With fellow Slytherins… Whenever someone gets under his skin, Ron becomes distant and isolated. But eventually…" Theo trailed off. Should I really tell them this?

"Eventually what?" Pandora asked.

"Eventually, Ron gets over his pain," Theo replied. "And then, he gets angry. These French allies who betrayed him… They're going to regret doing this to him." Just look at what he did to Potter, or Flint. "Ron will go to the ends of the Earth to enact his revenge." And I know for a fact that hurting others doesn't bother him in the slightest.

"That doesn't sound like him," Pandora said slowly, her eyes darting towards Molly.

"With all due respect, Mrs. Lovegood, I'm speaking from experience," Theo said. "As his friend, I won't betray his confidence, but at the same time, I don't want any of you to get caught up in his rage. Ron's anger turns him rabid…" He'll fuck us all up if we try to stop him.

The fireplace roared to life, and both Malfoy and Madam Pomfrey stepped through.

"Poppy," Molly Weasley looked truly relieved.

Madam Pomfrey looked to Molly for a split second, and then she quickly approached Ron with her wand brandished. She's wearing a night gown. Did Malfoy fetch her from her living quarters? Just as Theo finished thinking that, Malfoy walked up to Theo's side. Theo shot him a quick look, but neither boy said anything. I have to admit, his actions tonight have surprised me. Is Ron really getting through to him? Maybe I ought to listen to Tracey when she tells me that Malfoy's changing.

"Well?" Percy stood up. "Is he going to be alright, Madam Pomfrey?"

"Yes," Madam Pomfrey nodded. "He's simply exhausted… This boy… When will he stop doing this to himself?"

"This time, it wasn't his fault," Theo heard himself say. "Other people pushed him hard today, and Ron forgot to take his medicine."

"Should we wake him up?" Pandora asked. "He can go back to sleep after his dose."

"No, just let him rest," Madam Pomfrey replied, and then she looked to Theo. "He told you that he forgot to take his dose? Are you sure?"

"I have it right here," Theo pulled the vial out of his pocket. "I searched through his jacket, and it was untouched."

"Alright, this is good," Madam Pomfrey nodded to herself.

"Good?" Molly blinked.

"It means that this isn't something worse than exhaustion," Madam Pomfrey replied. "His color is a little concerning, he might be getting a fever judging by his cold sweat. Give him a Pepperup Potion with his breakfast, and make sure that he takes his Nutrition dose."

"Thank you, Poppy," Molly sighed out in relief. "And we're sorry for disturbing you this late."

"Think nothing of it," Madam Pomfrey said. "Should anything happen, I expect you to come to me immediately. Understood?"

"Yes," Pandora replied, she looked much calmer now. "Thank you, Poppy."

"I'll go and grab him a blanket," Theo said.

"Thank you, Theodore," Molly gave him a rather grateful smile. "There should be some extra's in the attic." The attic? You mean the attic with the Ghoul inside?

"Isn't there a Ghoul up there?" Theo asked slowly.

"It's alright, I'll get them," Percy volunteered, and then he left to go fetch said blankets. Thanks, mate… I draw the line at Ghouls. I need to sit down. This kind of stress wasn't part of the plan.

"Is it alright if we retire for the night?" Malfoy asked, getting the attention of all three witches.

"Yes, of course," Molly nodded, and then walked up and patted their cheeks. What is she doing? "I'm… I'm very glad that he has friends like you two. Like all of you." Really? It wasn't even a year ago that you were trying to remove him from Slytherin. "My husband and I were wrong to try and remove him from your side." Wow… Ron, did you hear that?

"I am grateful for your faith in us," Theo said formally, and Molly chuckled weakly.

"And you're polite," Molly stepped aside. Honestly, what else am I supposed to say? "If you're hungry, there's some stew on the stove."

"Thank you," Theo said, and then both he and Malfoy left for the Kitchen.

As soon as they turned the corner, they found Tracey waiting by the stairs. What is she doing down here? Is Daphne awake?

"Well?" Tracey whispered. "Is he alright?"

"Yeah, he's just sleeping it off," Theo whispered back, and they all began heading upstairs. "Did Luna tell you?"

"She did," Tracey replied, and then she smiled at Malfoy. "And she told me of what you did, Draco." Draco?

"Don't use my given name," Malfoy frowned.

"Um… No," Tracey kept smiling, and Malfoy clenched his jaw as he rolled his eyes. I did well too. Can I get some praise, please?

Sadly for Theo, his praise never came, and he found himself feeling a little jealous of Draco Malfoy. First, Ron, and now this? Is she trying to make me jealous? We haven't talked once about our kiss. As they made their way up to the third floor, Theo realized that being jealous of Ron was quite stupid. You know, when I really think about it, I'm very glad that I'm not him. Sure, he has nice abs, and a lot of girls drool over him, but his life is too… hectic. Even if he didn't have his conditions, I wouldn't want to be Ronald Weasley.

Percy passed them on the fourth floor, he was carrying far too many blankets for one person. Yeah, they're definitely a very close Family. Theo gave him a nod, and he actually returned it. Look at me, I'm winning the hearts and minds of Weasleys everywhere.

"Is Greengrass still asleep?" Malfoy asked they neared Ron's room.

"She is, and so is Tori," Tracey replied. "Oh, and Tori took your bed, Draco."

"Will you-?" Malfoy started, but Tracey shushed him.

"Don't wake them up," Tracey whispered, she was clearly enjoying herself. Draco… Whatever. She uses my given name as well, so you can stick that up your arse, 'Draco'.

Malfoy entered the room first, and oddly enough, he didn't make a damn sound. Creeper. Theo went to follow him, but Tracey stopped him by tugging at his arm.

"Luna mentioned that you took charge," Tracey whispered with a wider smile, and Theo immediately puffed up. Play it cool, Theo. "She said that you calmed down the adults."

"It had to be done," Theo said, his voice almost husky.

"It had to be done?" Tracey giggled softly, and Theo deflated a little. Fucked that up, didn't I?

Tracey leaned forward and kissed his cheek, which actually jarred him into becoming a statue.

"Um…" Theo felt his throat dry up.

"Thank you for not sending for Daphne," Tracey whispered. "I know that you and I aren't very good at this sort of thing, so I'm really glad that you were there for him."

"He's my friend, isn't he?" Theo sighed out.

"Now that… was a much better response," Tracey kissed his cheek again. So if I say sappy things, I get kisses. Make a mental note, Theo. Sometimes, being the 'good guy' can pay off.

---

Albus Dumbledore's POV

Monday 21st December, 1993 (Longbottom Manor – Night)

Albus found himself standing by the fireplace in the Living Room, his mind occupied with Poppy Abadie's betrayal. She's not done yet. I imagine that she will make another move very soon. The French who had remained loyal were currently speaking with Madame Maxime, they were no doubt planning their next move. Olympe had asked Albus for his input, but Albus had simply told her that it was Ronald's job to advise the French. Despite what had happened, Albus didn't want to step on his friend's toes. Ronald will recover from this, and when he does, he will remember those who stood by him.

"Dumbledore," Sebastian stopped at Albus' side, and Albus shot him a calm smile. "You wanted to see me?"

"I did," Albus replied, he saw no need to delay this conversation. "I imagine that you are just as upset as Sirius and Arthur in regards to Ronald's treatment tonight."

Something turned cold behind Sebastian's eyes, and he looked to the fire in order to hide his growing malice.

"They humiliated him," Sebastian whispered coldly. "They mocked him, laughed at him, and jeered him as he left the room. They will pay for that."

"Will they?" Albus asked. "May I ask what you have in mind?"

Sebastian said nothing, but Albus had his answer.

"I want to ask you to not give into your baser desires," Albus said, and Sebastian shot him a disinterested look. "Is this the message that you want to convey to a young man like Ronald?"

"What?" Sebastian's ears perked up.

"I will not beat around the bush, as they say," Albus started. "Ronald is a troubled young man, and we all know that. We also know that he looks up to you, and in many cases, he tries to mirror your behavior. Because of his youth, he thinks that being cold and ruthless makes him strong, but we both know that that's not the case. Not always. Often times, compassion requires far greater strength, especially when our enemies are involved. If you do what I think you're planning to do, then you might as well tell Ronald that killing those who anger you is the right thing to do. Is that what you want, Sebastian? Do you want him to grow up to be just like you?"

Sebastian maintained his silence, but eventually, he shook his head slowly. Good.

"Ronald is the wronged party here, and he must decide his next move by himself," Albus said.

"You say that, but you clearly want him to adhere to your values," Sebastian pointed out.

"I will not speak to Ronald about this," Albus promised. "But should he come to me for advice, I will try to steer him away from violence."

"And if he comes to me?" Sebastian asked.

"Then you should think carefully on what you want for Ronald Weasley," Albus said. "And only once you've done that, you may give him advice."

Sebastian gave a subtle nod, and then he left to go join his wife. What will you do, Sebastian Greengrass? Albus knew that he was taking a risk with letting Sebastian have a say in Ronald's next move, but at the same time, he was certain that Ronald would choose compassion. Over the last two months, Ronald had shown Albus just how much kindness he was capable of, and Albus couldn't deny that Ronald's actions had made him a very proud Headmaster. And a proud friend. He will no doubt stumble, like all youngster do, but eventually, he will find his way.

"Albus, may I speak with you for a moment?" Olympe approached him, and Albus smiled at her. Her shoulders are slouching, and her head is slightly bowed. She is feeling guilty.

"What is on your mind, Olympe?" Albus asked.

"I want to apologize to you personally," Olympe found some of her inner strength. "I have brought venomous serpents into your home, and they have attacked you."

"I do not accept your apology," Albus said, and Olympe averted her gaze. "Because you have nothing to apologize for."

"That is not true," Olympe looked at him again.

"Did you convince Poppy Abadie to cast her sanity to the wind?" Albus asked, and she shook her head. "Then you are just like the rest of us, Olympe. You, like us, were betrayed tonight."

"I…" Olympe started, but she clearly decided to accept his olive branch. "I am humbled by your understanding, Headmaster." Humbled?

Albus couldn't help but chuckle, the word 'humble' and the man named Albus Dumbledore should never be associated. I never learnt the meaning of the word, I think. Aberforth would die laughing if he was here to hear Olympe.

"Poppy Abadie has chosen her path," Albus said. "The truly sad part about her betrayal is that she has dragged others down with her. I hope Lord and Lady Couture's daughter sees reason before it's too late. Mistakes in war can often lead to untimely deaths, I'm afraid."

"They are heartbroken," Olympe said. "Christina was always spoilt, cruel, and vain… So very unlike her mother."

"Children often find ways to be different from their parents, even if their parents are worth looking up to," Albus said. "If you can, Olympe, I would ask you to find a way to speak to her. She is young, and she has a lot more to lose than her fellow conspirators."

"In truth, her behavior tonight has convinced me that she doesn't deserve a second chance," Olympe admitted.

"We all deserve a second chance," Albus said. "Please, my friend?"

Olympe stared at him for a moment, and then she gave a weak nod. Good, I hope the girl listens to Olympe's wise counsel.

"How are you so calm, Albus?" Olympe asked. "Not only have we lost multiple allies in one night, but the threat of another war looms over us."

"There won't be a war," Albus assured her. "Poppy wished to scare everyone in this room in the hopes of twisting my arm. She wanted me to accept her deal, and in doing so, make her life a lot easier. The Veela tribes of the mountains are not like Poppy. They are solitary by nature, and if they are forced to jump through too many hoops in order to aid her ambitions, they will simply wash their hands of her."

"Are you certain?" Olympe asked.

"Did you see the anger in her eyes when I refused her?" Albus asked. "I have no doubt that she will continue to be a thorn in our side, but for now, her schemes have come to an abrupt halt." She placed too much value in her own ability to inspire the others to act as she did.

"What if she join the Dark Lord?" Olympe asked.

"Then may the Gods help her," Albus replied. "Lord Voldemort despises Veelas more than most Magical Creatures because of their ability to dominate wizards and witches. He will not allow them into his camp for fear of being usurped. If they do go to him, they will die."

"I have known her for a long time, and yet, I did not see this coming," Olympe drew in a deep breath. "She was always… ambitious… But this? I cannot understand this kind of betrayal."

"To some, crisis is simply another word for opportunity," Albus spoke from experience. "She saw the chance to fulfill her dreams, and she was blinded by it." Albus then shot a look back at the other French, his eyes lingering on a weeping Eretria Couture. "What will all of you do next?"

"Tomorrow, I will go to Ronald's home," Olympe told him. "I will speak to him about our next move, and once we settle on a plan, we will collect my countrymen. Lady Longbottom has been kind enough to give them all room for tonight, so finding them all should be much easier now."

"When you do see Ronald, please make sure that he doesn't blame himself for this," Albus whispered. "If he decides that he has hurt the Order in any way, his heart will be broken."

"I will do my best, Headmaster."

---

Ronald Weasley's POV

Tuesday 22nd December, 1993 (The Burrow – Morning)

Ron's eyes slowly drifted open, and he found himself staring at a very familiar ceiling. I know this place. Home. Ron had no idea how he ended up here, and when he tried to recollect his memories, he remembered Lady Abadie's betrayal. Within a heartbeat, Ron wished that he was asleep again. He closed his eyes, but after a few minutes, he realized that the time for sleep was over. They betrayed me… They betrayed the Order.

A familiar feeling of shame, and exhaustion, made its nest inside him. Ron felt it in his gut. He felt it in his head. He felt it in his heart. He felt it in every single part of him. Within one day, Ron had been absolutely crushed from every angle, and right now, he didn't even have the strength to sit up. He just wanted to sleep all day in order to avoid being Ronald Weasley. No… Get up, Ron. Just fucking get up. With great will, Ron forced himself to sit up and look around.

"Ron?" came Daphne's voice, and he noticed that she was sitting in Pandora's usual seat. "How do you feel?"

"Tired," Ron told the truth without even thinking, and then, he rubbed his eyes clear. "What time is it? And where is everyone?"

"It's just over nine," Daphne replied. "And your Family is currently in the Kitchen with Madame Maxime." What?

Ron woke right the fuck up when he heard that, and he shot a quick look towards the exit.

"When did she get here?" Ron asked Daphne.

"Around twenty minutes ago," Daphne replied.

"And no one woke me up?" Ron frowned a little, and then he stood up. My stomach hurts…

"Ron, please don't stand so quickly," Daphne got up and walked over to him, her hands snaking around his left arm in an effort to support him. "You collapsed last night… Your brothers brought you inside, and you've been in a deep sleep since then."

"Collapsed?" Ron had no memory of that.

"You don't remember?" Daphne asked slowly, and Ron shook his head.

"So I came home last night? With Bill and Charlie?" Ron asked, and Daphne looked a little scared by his questions.

Ron tried to remember the events of last night again, and he realized that his last memory was of… Dumbledore's arrival. He showed up to fix my mess. After that, I don't remember a damn thing.

"Ron, you don't remember coming home?" Daphne all but whispered, she had read that memory loss was a symptom of Brain-Damage.

"No…" Ron replied. "Why is Madame Maxime here?"

Daphne just stared at her boyfriend, and when he looked to her for an answer, she decided to break her silence.

"She wants to discuss the French with you," Daphne replied, and then she squeezed his arm. "Theo told me what happened, Ron… I'm so sorry…" Theo? How did he hear about what happened? Did I tell him last night?

Ron averted his gaze in shame, how could Theo tell her that the French had humiliated her boyfriend? That they had mocked his foolishness and childlike naivety? I deserved it. I deserved all of their insults. I assumed that they would do the right thing, but obviously, people are cunts no matter their background. Greedy, self-absorbed, and short-sighted cunts.

"I need to go wash up," Ron began limping towards the exit, and that's when he realized that his right knee was hurting. Fuck, did I really collapse? I must've fallen on my knee.

Daphne began helping him when she realized that his leg was hurting, and as soon as Ron entered the Kitchen, he spotted Madame Maxime towering over everyone on the dining table. His mother, Pandora, Xeno, Sirius, Lord and Lady Greengrass, Mr. and Mrs. Davis, and Great-Aunt Muriel were all residing in the Kitchen. His mother was the first one to spot him, and it was probably because she was waiting for him to come walking through the door.

"Ron, you're awake," she tried to smile, and the others looked to him immediately.

"Kid," Sirius gave a weak smile. "How do you feel?"

"I feel fine," Ron lied on instinct, his eyes fixed on Madame Maxime. "Madame Maxime, please excuse me while I freshen up. I will join you shortly."

"I do not wish to impose, but time is of the essence," Madame Maxime said, and Ron gave her a nod.

"I'll get some food ready," Molly quickly got to work.

"Daphne, stairs," Ron whispered, and she gave him a nod.

"Is your leg alright?" Pandora noticed his limp immediately.

"I…" Ron started, his eyes lingering on Madame Maxime. "I hit it on something in my sleep."

Pandora adorned an understanding look, while Molly Weasley tensed visibly. With that said, Ron and Daphne made their way up to the first floor. The climb up wasn't too hard with Daphne helping him, but Ron could see that she was struggling with his weight. Wake up, Ron. Stop leaning on her so much. She's not a mule. Once they reached the top of the stairs, Ron slowly freed himself from Daphne's hold.

"What is it?" Daphne asked him.

"I can walk to the bathroom from here," Ron replied with a pathetic smile.

"Ron, don't be stubborn," Daphne was less than amused, and she took his arm again. "I'll get you to the bathroom, and while you take a quick shower, I'll fetch you something presentable to wear."

"Daph… I can't ask you to do so much for me all the time," Ron said in a rather meek tone. "Especially right now…"

"You mean because of the legislation?" Daphne asked him, and Ron nodded. "I have calmed down, and I've spent all morning coming up with solutions. The French still want to expand their businesses, and my mother has connections in Germany. If the legislation can't be reversed, then I will simply work around it." I… Wow… She came up with a solution on her own?

"That's great…" Ron said slowly.

"You sound a little disappointed," Daphne noted.

"Oh… I just… I wanted to help you," Ron admitted. "Like you helped me when Barnabas Cuffe came after me." If it weren't for my friends, I'd have never gone to Madame Maxime. Not to mention that Daphne helped pay for my advertisement campaign.

"You can't fight every battle, Ron," Daphne couldn't help but smile a little. "And I can't always rely on others for help. Neither of us is like that, I think."

"When do you rely on me for help?" Ron asked.

"You really are a dolt sometimes," Daphne didn't answer his question. "Come on, let's get you into the shower."

---

Ten Minutes Later

A knock on the door broke him out of his thoughts, and Ron made sure that the shower curtain was in place.

"Daph?" Ron called.

"I've got a suit," Daphne called back. "Should I just leave it out here?" I'll have to step into the hallway in a towel if you do.

"The door's unlocked," Ron called. "Just drop hang it near the sink."

"You want me to come inside?" Daphne asked, and Ron checked the shower curtain once again. She won't see anything, and it saves me a trip outside.

"The shower curtain is in place," Ron replied. "Just do it quickly, and leave right after."

"If you're sure…" Daphne said, and then, Ron heard the bathroom door open.

Daphne raced inside, dropped off the suit, and then she turned to leave. Ron waited for a few seconds, but he didn't hear the bathroom door close.

"Daph?" Ron said. "Are you still in here?"

"Um… Yeah, I'll go…" Daphne mumbled, and Ron wondered why she had stopped. Actually, if she was behind the shower curtain, and I was in her shoes, I'd stop as well.

Ron waited for the door to close, and the moment it did, he stuck his head out of the curtain. Daphne had left, much to Ron's relief, and so he stepped outside and wrapped himself in a towel. He did his best to ignore his reflection, mostly because he didn't want to see his scars this morning, and only once he was dressed did he look into the mirror. He looked rested enough, which was almost funny because he felt extremely tired. Ron brushed his teeth, made his hair, did up his buttons and tie, and then he finally exited the bathroom.

Daphne was waiting for him outside, and she wasn't alone. Ron's siblings, and the Trio, were all loitering in the hallway. It was obvious that they were waiting for him, and Ron felt rather exasperated with seeing their faces. I don't have it in me to deal with these people. I need to go downstairs and fix my mess.

"Are you feeling better, Ron?" Luna asked first, while Ginny just lingered with the Trio.

"Yes," Ron replied, and then he simply began to walk towards the stairs. Good thing I healed up my leg in the bathroom. My kneecap was bruised rather badly.

"Hold on for a second, Ron," Percy moved into his way, and Ron felt the urge to shove him aside. Control yourself, Ron… Percy's done you no wrong. Discipline your mind. "You owe us some answers."

"I do?" Ron asked. Haven't I already told you about my Chronic Stress?

"You collapsed yesterday," Fred reminded him.

"And you were acting off all day," George added. "We want to know what's wrong with you." So many things.

"It's obvious that your friends know what's going on," Fred said. "We're your kin, and we deserve to know as well."

"If anything, you should've told us first," Fred said, he sounded mildly annoyed.

"Really?" Ron asked with a dead look. "I should come to you with my problems, should I?" So you can use them against me as you've always done?

"Yes," the twins said together.

Ron said absolutely nothing, he didn't have it in him to start a row with his temperamental siblings. All he wanted to do was to fix his mess, and then, he wanted to sleep. Ron moved past Percy quietly, who didn't try to stop him. The twins weren't pleased with his silence, while the others were visibly disappointed, but Ron couldn't care less.

"Are you at least feeling better?" Neville asked.

"I feel fine," Ron lied, and then he began making his way down the stairs.

Just as Ron entered the Kitchen, his eyes quickly moved towards Madame Maxime. She was speaking with Aunt Muriel, who was frowning rather deeply. Something's wrong, isn't it? When isn't something wrong?

"Madame Maxime, let's go talk outside," Ron called, and she stood up at the sound of his voice.

"You can talk in here while you eat some food," Molly was currently making his plate.

"I'm not hungry," Ron said as he exited the Burrow.

The fresh, cool air felt divine on his skin, and Ron felt himself relax a little. I need to ask her what happened after I left. Is there really going to be a war because of me? This is just like Dumbledore's mess in Albania, only with Veelas and me in the center of it. After a few moment, Madame Maxime followed him outside with a plate of food in her hands. Did mum ask her to carry food for me?

"Eat," Madame Maxime offered him the plate, which he took with a slight frown. "You'll need your strength today, Ronald."

"Are we still going to the Ministry?" Ron asked as he began to distance himself from the Burrow.

"We must," Madame Maxime followed him. "Not all the French betrayed us, and so we can't leave them out to dry." True.

"What happened after I left?" Ron asked, making sure that they were alone. "Will there be a war?"

"No," Madame Maxime replied, and Ron relaxed immensely. Dumbledore saved the day, then? Good. At least one of us is useful. "Poppy Abadie wanted to scare the others into joining her, and in doing so, give her the power she needed to put her ambitions into play. Albus refused her offer, as did most of the others, and so she was forced to leave for France last night."

"Her allies as well?" Ron asked.

"Yes," Madame Maxime said, and then she drew in a deep breath. "I am sorry for bringing her here, Ronald. I will take full responsibility should her deeds come to light."

"No," Ron refused immediately. "You might have recommended her, but it was all my idea. We're partners in this, aren't we?"

"We are," Madame Maxime gave him an odd smile.

"Then we'll both take responsibility," Ron said. "I can't let you throw yourself under the bus, especially when I didn't see this betrayal coming either." Ron then drew in a deep breath. "So? What's our plan?"

"The French have to leave," Madame Maxime replied, and Ron blinked at her.

"Why?" Ron asked quickly. "The traitors are gone, aren't they?"

"Yes, but their actions have put the others in danger of prosecution," Madame Maxime replied. "The British Ministry, and people, won't differentiate between the guilty and the innocent. They will see all Veelas as a threat, and that will do untold damage to the relationship between the French and English. It's best that we make a quiet exit for now."

"But the Ministry has no idea about Lady Abadie's schemes," Ron said.

"Can we really take the risk of them finding out?" Madame Maxime asked. "As long as the French are here, the Pure-Blood Families will keep investigating them. Sooner or later, they will find something that will damn us all. I truly believe that for the time being, we must do our best to salvage what we can. My countrymen agree with me, Ronald. They wish to return home in order to make sure that the French Ministry doesn't take offence at this legislation made solely to target foreigners." So… Corban Yaxley won? So much of our work has been undone, and I couldn't do a damn thing to stop it.

"If the French leave…" Ron started. "What happens with the Order?"

"We will continue our support," Madame Maxime promised. "This is our fight as well, my friend, and we will not stand by as the Dark Lord inflicts death and destruction on Britain. At first, we will continue providing the Order with funds, but once things escalate, we will return. At that point, the Ministry will be too busy to care about our presence."

"I see," Ron looked off into the distance.

"Sometimes, in order to win the war, you have to lose the battle," Madame Maxime told him. "We lost this one… But we are not done yet. The best thing we can do right now is to learn from this, and then, improve ourselves for the next battle."

---

Tuesday 22nd December, 1993 (The Ministry – Morning)

The moment Ron, and his French allies, had entered the Ministry, Rufus Scrimgeour had greeted them in the Atrium. As it turned out, Corban Yaxley had seen this coming as well, and had decided to intercept Ron and his allies before they could speak with the Minister. Rufus Scrimgeour, who was clearly acting under the Minister's orders, had escorted them to the Ministry Dungeons for a chat with the Minister. Ron, and Madame Maxime, had attempted to question Scrimgeour, but the man was as quiet as a wall. Once they were within the Ministry Dungeons, Scrimgeour had led them to the Wizengamot's conference room, but before Ron and his allies could enter, the Head Auror suddenly decided to block their path.

"Corban Yaxley, and his friends, are inside as well," Scrimgeour told Madame Maxime. "The Minister had me collect Ludo Bagman, and Bartemius Crouch Snr before I intercepted you."

"Do you know why?" Madame Maxime asked, why was he telling them this?

"No, I don't," Scrimgeour said, his yellow eyes darting towards Ron for a moment. "I don't know what's going on, but whatever it is, it's serious. The Minister has asked me to station my remaining Aurors outside once you're in the room." What?!

With that, Scrimgeour opened the door and stepped aside. Ron and Madame Maxime exchanged look, and then, they looked back to the French. What has Corban Yaxley done now? And why is the Minister letting him sit in this conversation? He doesn't even work at the Ministry. Fucking Fudge… Ron drew in a deep breath, and then he stepped into the conference room first. He immediately spotted Barty Crouch Snr sitting with Ludovic Bagman, and across from them sat Ron's enemies. Corban Yaxley, a thin young man, Lord and Lady Parkinson, Madam Dolores Umbridge, and a muscled man with blonde hair.

"Ah, welcome," Fudge greeted them with a forced smile, he was sitting at the head of the long table.

"You knew we were coming?" Ron couldn't help but ask.

"The Wizengamot's latest legislation gave them reason to suspect your arrival," Crouch said, his eyes were filled with anger. He's staring right at me… "Take a seat. Please."

Ron and his allies sat down on Barty Crouch and Ludo Bagman's side, with Ron sitting right next to Ludo Bagman. He was a blue-eyed, blonde man who looked well past his prime. Ron knew that Ludo was a Professional Quidditch Player in his time, but that fact didn't really impress him. Maybe it would've when I was younger, but as it stands, I haven't used a broom in a long time.

"Minister Fudge," Madame Maxime started, her eyes fixed on Corban Yaxley. "Do Lord Yaxley, and his associates, really need to be here? They are not employed by the British Ministry, and therefore, should not be privy to this conversation."

"Why?" Yaxley asked, he was a man with hardened and cold features. "Do you have something to hide, Headmistress?"

"Not at all," Madame Maxime replied. "It's just, given your history, your presence could be mistaken for an insult."

"I lost years of my life due to the Imperius Curse, and you are digging at my deepest wound," Yaxley said, and Ron felt his jaw clench. Liar. "We can either be civil about this, or we can be petty. Either way, Headmistress, we are not leaving."

"We will be civil, of course," Fudge spoke up, his eyes darting towards Crouch.

"Lord Yaxley, and his allies, have come to us with their concerns," Crouch started, though his tone was cold and almost hostile. "They say that they have proof of a conspiracy against the British Government, and that this proof paints the French in this room as the conspirators." What? Does he know about Lady Abadie's schemes?

Ron kept his composure, of course, but deep down, he felt genuine dread over what this could mean. If he does know about her madness, we're in deep shite. Forget the Triwizard Tournament, we'll be at war with France before the end of the year.

"They have proof, do they?" Emilia spoke up, mostly because no one else had. "And how do we know that this proof is legitimate?"

"If you want legitimacy to be proven, Lady Travers, we can easily take this to the Wizengamot," Umbridge giggled. "By British Magical Law, we can hold your trial in this country if you are our guests."

"But we do not wish to create a scandal," Yaxley said.

"Is that so?" Ron asked.

"Neither of our Ministries will benefit from such a disgraceful affair," Yaxley replied. "Every party involved will leave with mud on their faces, except for us, of course. We are simply trying to keep our country safe."

"However, boy, you won't be so lucky," Lady Parkinson sneered at him. "After all, the people of Magical Britain will want to know why a child has been given such an important job to make a mess out of."

"Let's not blow this out of proportion," Fudge chuckled nervously, he knew that he'd be blamed in the end for hiring Ronald Weasley.

"Present your evidence," Crouch said, completely ignoring the Minister. "I wish to see it for myself."

The thin young man pulled out several folders from his briefcase, and he began passing them around the table. One of the folders ended up in Ron's hands, and when he opened it to look inside, his blood froze. Inside the folder were several photographs of Lady Abadie and Ludo Bagman, most of which revealed who Lady Abadie's secret lover was. Ron slowly looked to the man on his right, and Bagman gave Ron a slightly confused look.

"What is it, Mr. Weasley?" Bagman asked.

"It's you," Ron replied, and then he handed the photographs to Bagman.

Bagman looked the photos over, and his eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"Mr. Bagman is currently staring at photos of himself and Lady Abadie," Yaxley said, and Madame Maxime shot Ron a quick look. I know. "These were taken in various locations all over Diagon Alley, and they prove that Mr. Bagman is having an affair with Lady Abadie."

"You had me followed?!" Bagman suddenly went red in the face. "I am a Ministry Official! You are a civilian! By what right-!"

"You are both married, and, you are both powerful individuals," Yaxley replied. "You, Mr. Bagman, are one of the most influential people in the Ministry right now, given your current project." He even knows of the Triwizard Tournament?!

"Project?" Crouch asked.

"The Quidditch World Cup is being hosted by Britain next year, is it not?" the thin young man asked. It is? Wait… They don't know about the Triwizard Tournament, then?

"It is, Mr. Rosier," Minister Fudge replied quickly.

"You hold sensitive information in your head, and Veelas are known to seduce powerful men," Rosier said.

"Poppy wouldn't do that," Bagman snarled. This poor bastard… She tricked you, mate, just like she tricked us.

"Wouldn't she?" Yaxley asked. "We also have two people in your Department who can testify to her attempting to bribe them for information." Fuck! "In addition, we have eleven more Ministry employees who can testify to being offered bribes by the French."

"This is a lie," Lady Heroux frowned deeply.

"An absolute insult," Monsieur Delacour added. But is it true? I mean, we just learnt last night that some of us have gone rogue. What if the conspirators were indeed offering bribes for favor? This is not good. Not good at all.

"We, the British Ministry, are the insulted party here," Umbridge said, she sounded sweet and bitter at the same time. "I have followed up with these young men and women, and they felt disgusted by what they were nearly a part of. The French… are attempting to infiltrate our proud Ministry. We, as the British peop-"

"Be quick about it," Crouch said bluntly, and Umbridge looked jarred. "We are not in the Wizengamot, Dolores, and I do not have it in me to listen to your long-winded rants. Who are these young men and women?"

"They wish to exercise their right to anonymity," Umbridge said, and Madame Maxime scoffed.

"Isn't that convenient?" Ron said.

"I can call them down here, if you truly want that, but it would be a betrayal of their courage," Umbridge looked to Fudge. "These people have put their careers in danger by coming forward, Minister."

"No, there is no need for that," the Minister said, and Ron barely held back his shock. Are you fucking kidding me?! This bastard is bought and paid for!

"I think there is," Crouch said. "If these claims are indeed true, then we need to go through all the evidence."

"Barty, that could take hours," Fudge said. "Dolores, didn't you make transcriptions of your conversations with these employees?"

"I did, Minister," Umbridge replied with a sweet smile. "They are in the folder in front of Lord Beaufort."

Lord Beaufort quickly passed the folder down to Crouch, who opened it and looked through the content. After nearly a minute of him reading through the transcriptions, he put them all down with a slight frown.

"None of these witnesses gave their name?" Crouch asked. "Not even a single person?"

"As I said, they wished to remain anonymous, and by British Magical Law, they have that right," Umbridge replied.

"This smells of Hippogriff dung, Barty," Bagman said, his eyes fixed on Crouch. "They say they have evidence against the French, but all they've proven so far is that they've committed a crime by stalking a Ministry Official."

"Where are Lord and Lady Abadie?" Rosier asked. "I also don't see Lord and Lady Beaumont, Lord and Lady Donadieu, and Lord and Lady Ancar. Where are they?" Damn this Rosier cunt… Who is he?

"They have returned to France," Madame Maxime replied calmly. "They have large businesses to take care of."

"Is that so?" Yaxley asked, and then he looked to the blonde muscled man. "Thorfinn?" Thorfinn? Thorfinn Rowle?

"I saw them at the French Ministry yesterday, and they looked less than pleased," Thorfinn Rowle told everyone. French Ministry? "They had no luggage, nor did they have anyone there to pick them up. From what I gathered, no one had expected them back so soon."

"We have records of them hiring Portkeys late last night, and they didn't put in an order as is the Law," Yaxley added. "They were clearly chased out." Chased out? Fucking hell, this is not like Slytherin at all. These people are far too clever, and they always hit near the target.

"It is obvious that these two diplomats caught wind of their schemes," Lady Parkinson looked between Ron and Madame Maxime. "And yet, instead of bringing this up for investigation, they decided to send these would be infiltrators home in order to avoid a scandal." Damn Lady Abadie to hell, she's done so much damage to us.

"This is all speculation at best," Ron spoke up.

Crouch looked to Ron, and once again, Ron felt like Crouch was pissed off with him. Why? I haven't even spoken to the man. What could I have done to earn his ire? Crouch looked back down at the transcriptions, and he picked out one particular page.

"This one claims that Lady Ancar attempted to bribe him, and when that failed, she attempted to seduce him," Crouch told everyone. Merlin, it's probably true.

"Most of the pieces are all there," Yaxley said. "We might not have a clear picture yet, but it is quite obvious that the French have been less than forthcoming with us. We are giving them a chance to confess their crimes without involving the courts and the Media, but if they keep playing this game, then we will investigate them with the full power of the Wizengamot behind us."

"Their accounts will be looked through, their business ledgers will be turned inside out, and the French Ministry itself will get involved," Rosier said. "Thorfinn spoke with the French Minister himself, and he has asked us to do anything in our power to avoid a scandal. He would not tell us why he was so desperate to avoid this mess, but it's probably because the French and the English are working on something important."

"Something so important that even we haven't heard about it yet," Yaxley looked to Fudge, who simply looked forward. "In order to defend Britain, I will take this to the highest level possible. I will involve every single Ministry Official from both Ministries, and I will give my findings to the Daily Prophet as well. Within a day, the people of Britain will demand that the French be thrown out of this country. There will be mass outrage, and any chance of the French and British becoming allies one day will be shattered."

Ron could easily tell that he was losing this battle, mostly because the Pure-Bloods were right. The French had indeed schemed to infiltrate the British Ministry, and if Corban Yaxley searched long enough, he'd find the evidence needed to ruin the relationship between the French and the British. Ron had lost before the fight had even started, and it was all because he couldn't control his own allies. The worst part about this was that Corban Yaxley was actually doing Ron a great service here. Not only was Yaxley allowing the French to leave with their reputations intact, but he was also killing the chance of a war breaking out. He's killing multiple birds with one stone, and I'm one of those birds. Ron felt his stomach tighten painfully, but he ignored his pain.

"If you choose accept our offer, then you will leave Britain by tonight," Yaxley stood up, and his allies did the same. "You will not further attempt to infiltrate our Ministry, nor will you hire proxies to interfere with our country's affairs. We will simply forget that this ever happened, and no one will be put under a microscope. The choice is yours."

With that, Yaxley simply left the room, while Rosier collected the documents before heading out as well. The room was filled with an overwhelming silence, which was eventually broken by the woman who resembled a toad.

"Hem, hem," Umbridge 'cleared' her throat. "Minister… Mr. Weasley and Headmistress Maxime have proven to be rather poor diplomats, and although we have no power over Headmistress Maxime, we ought to relieve this child of his duties." What? "It is quite obvious that he has no idea what he's doing."

"I will decide on who works in my Department," Crouch said coldly, and Umbridge shot him a challenging look. "Not you, Dolores, and certainly not him." I'm not getting fired?

"Excuse me?" Umbridge looked more than aghast. "You dare speak to the Minister-"

"How long have you known about this?" Crouch demanded, his eyes fixed on Fudge.

"A few days," Fudge replied.

"And you decided not to tell me?" Crouch asked. "Have you forgotten my position?"

"No, Barty, I have not," Fudge sighed out, while the French simply looked uncomfortable.

"You're the one who is forgetting his position in the hierarchy of things," Umbridge no longer bothered to sound sweet. "Speak to the Minister with some respect."

"How about you get your nose out of his arse?" Bagman snapped, and Ron was genuinely taken aback. They're fighting like children… "Did you know that I was being followed? That they were taking pictures of my personal affairs?"

"No, we didn't know that," Fudge tried to calm everyone down, but Bagman shot out of his seat and barged out of the room. "Madame Maxime… I cannot recommend accepting their offer enough. Please, we cannot afford this sort of situation looming over us. Especially with what's planned for next year."

"The Quidditch World Cup?" Umbridge fished for information.

"This is the part where you leave," Crouch just stared through Umbridge, and she smiled in a condescending manner. I really don't like this woman.

"You ought to get your house in order, Barty," Umbridge giggled as she stood up. "I'd start by firing the incompetents."

Ron bit his tongue, mostly because he didn't want to embarrass himself any further. Umbridge left the room with a hop in her step, she was clearly pleased with how things had turned out. As for Ron, and his allies, they knew that they had no choice but to accept Yaxley's offer. I know that Madame Maxime and the French planned to leave anyway, but it still hurts to lose like this. We're accepting mercy from our enemy, and Yaxley looks like an extremely benevolent man instead of a damn Death-Eater. Everything went to shit, and it only took a day. Ron felt like his confidence had been shattered, and once again, a dull pain started in his stomach. What is that?

"Madame Maxime, please," Fudge looked exhausted.

"We will leave, Minister," Madame Maxime said, and Fudge looked visibly relieved. "Mr. Crouch, thank you for your work today. I will make sure that this does not affect our plans for the future."

"The Aurors will escort you all to your homes," Crouch said. "Gather your things, and come back to the Ministry. I will have Portkeys ready for you all."

Madame Maxime stood up, and Ron quickly followed suit.

"Sit back down," Crouch shot a cold look at Ron, who just stared at him.

"Is everything-?" Madame Maxime started, but she stopped when Crouch turned his gaze to her.

"The Aurors will escort you out," Crouch repeated. "I will continue looking into this, and if I smell corruption, there will be a reckoning. Do you understand?"

Madame Maxime said nothing, and after shooting Ron a quick look, she and the French left the room in an orderly fashion. Ron sat back down, and he was smart enough to realize that he was probably going to get fired. And yet, oddly enough, he felt very little panic over that idea. He was simply exhausted, and all he wanted to do was to go home. Fudge eventually left the room as well, he no doubt planned to go home early today. When only Ron and Crouch were left in the room, Ron noticed that his boss was just staring at him. Should I say something?

"Mr. Crouch-" Ron started.

"Shut up," Crouch said coldly, and Ron felt his mouth close. "I ought to fire you right here and now, and believe me, I'd love nothing more. From the day you bullied your way into my Department, I've been looking for reasons to get rid of you." You have? Why?

Crouch stood up, and he slowly walked over to Ron. The tall man stopped right next to Ron, and because of the dim lighting, Ron felt like a man with a skull for a face was staring down at him. It's kind of scary, even.

"Let's make one thing very clear, Mr. Weasley," Crouch whispered coldly. "I want you gone. My Department wants you gone. Even the Minister wants you gone. You strong-armed Amelia Bones into giving you this position, and I had relocate a very promising young diplomat to a different country in order to help my friend. You took someone else's job by force, and this is what you have to show for it? Pathetic. Ever since your position was announced, you have not sent even one owl to me. You haven't even made an appearance in the Offices."

"I was waiting for you to contact me-" Ron started, but Crouch slammed his fist into the table.

Ron jumped from fright, his eyes widening as his body shrunk in size.

"I'm supposed to contact you?!" Crouch yelled at Ron. "I'm supposed to invite you into the Department that you now work for?! Are you fucking stupid?! Do you think I have time to lay out a welcome mat for you?!"

Ron was genuinely jarred by Crouch's sudden rage, and he looked down at the table like a scolded child. This action, however, only served to enrage Crouch further.

"Look at me while I speak to you!" Crouch ordered, and Ron slowly looked back up. "You are on very thin ice, boy! The only reason why I haven't fired you is because I don't want to give that toad Umbridge the satisfaction! But I assure you, I will start looking for your replacement very soon if you don't get your act together! You work for me, do you understand?!"

Ron nodded weakly, he hadn't been yelled at by an adult like this since… Since Snape.

"You will report back to me from now on," Crouch hissed, though he sounded just as scary as when he was yelling. "I understand that you've never worked before, and I understand that you're just a child. But actions have consequences, and the person whose job you stole wouldn't have let things escalate this far. He would've contacted me immediately, and we could've come up with a strategy instead of being blindsided. From now on, you will stay in contact with me. You will work on the assignments I give you. You will not act as a lone wolf. That is not how things work in this World, and the sooner you learn that, the better. So help me Merlin, Mr. Weasley, I will make sure that you never hold a position of power in this Ministry if you keep acting like an untrained ape. You don't get to do as you please, not when the stakes are this high."

Crouch then took a step back, his unnaturally straight hair had become messy due to his yelling.

"Get out of my fucking sight, you incompetent idiot," Crouch was clearly trying to calm himself down.

Ron slowly got up, and he began walking towards the door in a daze. He didn't even realize that his hands were shaking, or that his stomach had twisted in on itself from nervousness.

"One more thing," Crouch called, and Ron looked back. "I don't know what your feud is with Corban Yaxley, but it ends today. If these people keep coming after you, I will fire you simply because I don't want my Department to get caught up in your mess. Years of work nearly came undone because they wanted to humiliate you. We have jobs to do, Mr. Weasley, and we won't let you get in the way just so you can act like you matter. I will be keeping my eyes on you from now on, so act accordingly."

Ron gave a shaky nod, and then he exited the room. Ron, of course, was quite familiar with conflict by now, but this was different. No matter how he looked at it, Ron knew that he could've done more. Why hadn't he contacted Crouch sooner? Why hadn't he predicted betrayal from a woman who made it quite clear that she wanted to rule the Veela Community? Why was he born as the most incompetent Weasley? If Bill, or Percy, were in my shoes, they'd have done so much better. Ron felt his eyes sting, because in hindsight, he had made mistake after mistake without even realizing it. He was just as incompetent, and foolish, as everyone kept telling him. As Ron neared the elevators, he clenched his fists so hard that his nails dug into his palms. He wanted to distract himself as much as he could in an effort to save the last shred of dignity he had left. Don't fucking cry. Don't prove your enemies right.

As the elevator took him up towards the Atrium, Ron rubbed his eyes clear harshly. Fucking useless piece of shit… The thing that stuck out to Ron the most right now was that he had indeed stolen someone's job, and from what Crouch had said, this young diplomat was far better at this job than Ron. Why didn't I come into the Offices? Why didn't I even think that it was important? I'm so fucking stupid! Umbridge was right to call for my head… I really fucked it all up. Dumbledore had to stop the war that I nearly started by bringing Lady Abadie here, and then, I put Madame Maxime and the French through this trial. Yaxley came for me, and they all got caught up in my mess.

The doors of the elevator opened, and Ron found himself drifting towards the fireplaces. Everyone who worked at the Ministry was in such a rush, all of them were running from point A to point B, which only made Ron feel worse about himself. This is a different workspace from Lord Greengrass' study, but I didn't even think about that. I just… fucked around, all the while pretending like I was some 'rising star'. I'm pathetic. Ginny's right… I'm an ego-maniac, one who doesn't know anything about the World around him. Doubt crept up his spine, and it made its nest inside his mind. Over the last two days, Ron's mistakes had caught up to him, and only now did he realize just how foolish he had been.

"Mr. Weasley," came an all too familiar voice, and Ron stopped immediately. "I was hoping to speak with you. Do you have some spare time?"

Ron looked over to Corban Yaxley, and he realized that the man was completely alone. What do you want from me? You already won, didn't you?

"Where are your allies?" Ron heard himself ask.

"They went to their homes," Yaxley replied, his face entirely expressionless. "They are no doubt celebrating their victory even as we speak."

"I see," Ron looked back ahead. "You should go join them, and leave me alone…"

"I'd rather have a conversation with you," Yaxley said, and Ron looked back to him. "Are you hungry?"

---

Twenty Minutes Later

What was Ron thinking?

Why had he accepted Yaxley's invitation?

Maybe it was because he just couldn't think straight right now? Or maybe it was because he wanted to learn more about his enemy? Or maybe, deep down, he was envious of Yaxley's mind? After all, it had taken Corban Yaxley very little time to school Ron in the art of politics, and Ron had felt the urge to give into his never ending need to be better. To learn from his mistakes. I should be careful with him. He's smarter, richer, and no doubt stronger than me. I should've said no.

For the last twenty minutes, neither of them had spoken a word. They had made their way to Diagon Alley, but instead of stopping at the many fancy restaurants along the way, Yaxley had led the way to a street vendor who was selling fish and chips.

"Hugo," Yaxley greeted the older man, who smiled widely at seeing Yaxley. He's friends with a street vendor? "I'll take two of my usual, please." Please?!

"Of course, Mr. Yaxley," the older wizard quickly pulled out his wand, and as he began to make the order, Ron found himself staring at Yaxley's back. He's friends with a street vendor? Why? Don't Pure-Bloods like Yaxley consider the common folk as lesser beings?

"How's your daughter?" Yaxley asked the man, he didn't sound very friendly despite his personal question.

"Oh, busy with her Ministry job," the wizard named Hugo laughed pleasantly. "She's all but forgotten her old man, I fear. How is your daughter, Sir?" Lysandra?

"Terribly spoilt," Yaxley replied, and Hugo laughed again. "My wife has bought her fifteen dresses in two days, and not once did my daughter thank her." That does sound like Lysandra, actually.

"Daughters are definitely harder than boys, I promise," Hugo said, and Yaxley simply gave a nod. What is happening? "But its daughters who take care of you when you're old and grey, eh?"

"Mine would sooner feed me poison for her inheritance," Yaxley said, and Hugo laughed. Was that a joke?!

Yaxley's lips twitched upwards for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. I'm so fucking confused right now. Is this a set up? Is this Hugo an actor? Is Yaxley trying to get into my head?

"Here you are, Sir," Hugo placed the orders in front of Yaxley, who paid the man a Galleon. That much?! "Sir… Please, that's too much."

"Nonsense," Yaxley took the orders. "I keep saying that you should let me help you open up a restaurant, Hugo, but since you won't listen to sound advice, I'll just keep paying you extra until you have enough."

"I'm a bit too old to be running a kitchen," Hugo accepted the money.

"We'll hire you an able bodied staff," Yaxley said. "Just think about it."

"I… I will, Sir," Hugo gave a respectful nod, and Yaxley left right after.

Ron followed after the blonde haired Pure-Blood, though he shot a quick look back at Hugo. I honestly don't know what to say about that.

"Here," Yaxley offered Ron one of the boxes, and Ron took it slowly. "It's not poisoned, by the way."

"You eat street food?" Ron asked out of curiosity.

"That man has been working that stall for over thirty years," Yaxley told Ron, and Ron shot another look back at Hugo. "My wife tells me that I should eat healthier, but sadly, I have a stomach for unhealthy foods. No one makes fish and chips as well as Hugo, and so, he has my patronage. My father actually brought me to him when I was very young, so we go back a long time."

"I'm going to assume that he's not a Pure-Blood," Ron started. "That doesn't bother you?"

"He's a Half-Blood, and he knows his place in the grand scheme of things," Yaxley replied. "I can respect a man who hones his craft for decades, and whose presence only makes Magical Britain brighter." Right…

Ron opened his box, and he looked inside. The chips smelled amazing, and the fish had a nice golden crust around it. He uses herbs on the chips? Yaxley began eating as he started walking towards the upper district, and Ron followed after him. Silence fell between them once again, and eventually, Yaxley took a seat on a bench overlooking the busy streets. Ron slowly took a seat as well, and he made sure put a lot of distance between them.

"You should eat the fish-" Yaxley started, but when he saw Ron's empty box, he cocked an eyebrow.

"I eat quickly," Ron said, and Yaxley gave him an understanding nod. It was so damn delicious that I scarfed it down.

"Well? What did you think?" Yaxley asked. "Give me your honest opinion, Mr. Weasley, I wish to open a restaurant for the man."

"It was the best fish and chips I've ever had," Ron admitted easily enough. Even better than mum's. "Lord Yaxley… Why are we here?"

"I wish to speak with you about recent events," Yaxley replied, and then, his eyes seemed to turn colder. "I know that your allies betrayed you, Mr. Weasley." What? How? "You don't have to confirm my suspicions, I realized something was off when I didn't see them. Not to mention Thorfinn's report. Now… I don't know what happened, nor do I really care, but I do wish to know if Britain is in danger."

"In danger?" Ron asked, trying his best to sound completely calm.

"I'm sure you've realized that Politics is a dangerous game," Yaxley said. "And I'm sure that you fully understand just how greedy some people can be. I mean, you are a Slytherin, are you not?"

"There is no danger," Ron told him. "And if there was, it's not your place to interfere."

"Don't be naïve," Yaxley said, and Ron felt his heart sink a little. That word again? "We both know that the Old Families run this country, and therefore, I have every right to interfere should things get out of control. My forefathers built this country, as did yours. Every fifth building you see in Diagon Alley was built by the Yaxley Family. This country is my home, and my Blood runs through its veins. I will defend it until my dying breath, and I will destroy its enemies without any mercy."

"And you think I'm Britain's enemy?" Ron asked coldly. I might be having a rough go of things, but I won't be spoken down to by a fucking Death-Eater.

Yaxley just stared at Ron, and after a few seconds, his eyes returned to normal.

"I think you brought the French here to help St. Mungo's," Yaxley replied, and Ron blinked at him. Huh? "Many of my allies are convinced that you have some selfish motives for bringing the French here, but I believe that you simply wished to do a good thing for your country. And, despite my feelings on the Veela community, I cannot deny that their donations did help St. Mungo's Hospital's recovery a great deal. So, on that front, I would like to thank you."

"Thank me?" Ron asked. "You just undid all of my work… I don't want your false gratitude."

"I won't lie that this all started as me trying to stop you before you made a mistake that cost us all dearly," Yaxley said. "But along the way, as I learned more about you, I came to respect you." Lies upon lies. "It is not your fault that you put your faith in the wrong people. After all, you were raised to believe that the 'downtrodden' are always right." Is he about to give me his Death-Eater manifesto?

"You don't know what you're talking about," Ron said.

"Oh, but I do," Yaxley said. "You are not the first person to be betrayed by your allies, Mr. Weasley. We have all been through it. When I was your age, I was quite the ambitious young man. But unlike you, I didn't have the discipline needed to further my ambitions. Eventually, however, I did try to make some deals in order to impress the World, and I was swiftly betrayed by people I thought I could count on. They swindled a great deal of money from me, and my father lost his controlling share in the shoe-making industry. If you do not believe me, you may look into it. It was quite the disaster, and many people called me a fool. Including my own friends."

"What do you want from me?" Ron asked bluntly, he was getting tired of this conversation already.

"I want to take you under my wing," Yaxley replied, and Ron was genuinely baffled.

"Pardon?" Ron just stared at the man's cold features.

"You have shown me that you have amazing potential, and I want to aim that potential towards making a better England," Yaxley went on. "I have a lot of experience in Politics, and as you clearly just witnessed, my influence runs deep. With me backing you, you would have all of my resources at your disposal. You could pursue any ambitions that you have, and I promise you that with my help, you'll be unstoppable."

"I already have a mentor," Ron refused. I'm not getting in bed with people like you. You have no idea what I plan to do to all of you murderous cunts.

"Sebastian Greengrass, you mean," Yaxley said. "I won't deny that I could never offer you as much wealth as him, but you and I both know that Sebastian is a businessman first. Unlike us, Mr. Weasley, he doesn't love this country. He does not seek to make it better, nor does he seek to protect it from outside threats. He is only interested in his bottomless vaults, and if he could, he'd sell Britain out to further his wealth."

Ron couldn't deny that Lord Greengrass was indeed a business driven individual, and he had certainly never shown Ron that he cared much for Britain. But he cares about me, unlike you.

"As for your other allies," Yaxley continued. "Do you think Lady Longbottom will spend her fortune to help you further your ambitions? Wouldn't she rather save her fortune for her Grandson?" She would… "What about Lady Prewett? I know that she is your kin, but she doesn't have the wealth or influence needed to help Britain. Most people can't stand her, and she seems to have a pathological need to antagonize anyone around her. And do I even need to make a comment on Sirius Black? The man was invited to join the Wizengamot five weeks ago, and he hasn't even bothered to respond." What? Is this true? What the fuck, Sirius?

Yaxley then leaned in Ron's direction.

"I can offer you so much, and together, we can make Britain a jewel," Yaxley said, and Ron genuinely thought about his offer.

After a few long moments, Ron had his answer.

"Tell me, Lord Yaxley, what do you think of Squibs, Werewolves, Vampires, and other 'undesirables'?" Ron asked, and Yaxley leaned back with a cold look. "Yeah, that's what I thought… You say that you love Britain, but you clearly don't love all of it. Your vision of what Britain could be is no doubt a society run by the Pure-Bloods, a society that cuts out anyone deemed 'unworthy' without any mercy or understanding."

Ron stood up at that, he was done entertaining this degenerate piece of dog shit.

"I will not betray everything I believe in for power, no matter how many times I lose to people like you," Ron sneered down at Yaxley. "You think you're better than people simply because you were born into wealth and power, and despite your 'love' for this country, you helped set it on fire during the Great War. Now, you can use that Imperius excuse with the Ministry all you like, but we both know that you joined the Death-Eaters in order to murder anyone who wasn't like you."

"I see," Yaxley stood up as well, his jaw clenching. "We are not alike whatsoever."

"No, we're not," Ron said as firmly as he could. "I judge people by their actions, while you judge them by their heritage. You, and your allies, can keep your wealth and power. I won't help you step on other people's throats."

With that said, Ron simply walked away from the man. I'm done with people for today… I just want to go home.

---

Thirty Minutes Later

Ron had spent far too much time simply walking around Diagon Alley, but now, it was time to come home. He knew that people would have questions for him, his siblings especially, but Ron just couldn't be fucked anymore. He was tired, he was feeling wretched, and deep down he could feel his anger simmering. He knew that, eventually, he was going to explode, and any poor bastard caught in the crossfire was going to be sorry that they were born.

Ron stepped through the fireplace and into the Burrow, and he immediately saw all the children waiting for him. They were all here, packed tightly in a Living Room that was far too small, while Bill and Charlie lingered about in a corner. What are they whispering about?

"Ron, you're back," Luna gave him a forced smile. Get that stupid smile off of your face.

"Observant as always, Luna," Ron said, and then he walked towards the Kitchen.

"How did it go with the French, Ron?" Bill asked.

"Terribly," Ron replied as he entered the Kitchen, where he found the adults.

"Ronnie," Molly smiled at the sight of him. Stop calling me Ronnie… "How did things at the Ministry go?"

"The French are heading back to France," Ron replied as he stepped further into the Kitchen, he could hear his siblings and friends following him into the Kitchen. "Corban Yaxley, and his allies, destroyed me. I nearly got fired, I was definitely humiliated, not that I didn't deserve it, and Crouch plans to keep me on a short leash from now on. Have I got any mail?"

Everyone just stared at him, and pretty soon, he saw pity in their eyes. Ron simply ignored it, deciding that starting a fight with his Family would be incredibly unfair to them. It's not their fault that I'm a dumb cunt.

"I would've thought that you would talk Maxime out of her idea," Aunt Muriel frowned at him.

"What idea?" Lord Greengrass asked, while Sirius cocked an eyebrow at Muriel. Why did Madame Maxime tell her of her plans, and not the others?

"She planned to take the French back to France in order to avoid a scandal," Muriel replied. "I told her that she was being a coward, but she was adamant about it."

"Even if she wasn't, Corban Yaxley didn't leave anything up to chance," Ron told them. "He was waiting at the Ministry for us, and he had plenty of evidence about the French's schemes. Now… Did I get any mail?"

"Um… You got these two letters, actually," Xeno walked over and handed Ron two sealed envelopes. "I'm sorry about your day, Ron."

"Don't be," Ron said as he began to head for the exit.

"Where are you going?" Pandora asked.

"To set up the fence," Ron replied, his eyes fixed on the letters. One from the Fawley Family, and one from Gringotts.

"In your nice suit?" Molly asked.

"We still have questions for you," Fred called out, but Ron just ignored all of them.

Once Ron was in the backyard, he spotted the fence just sitting there in pieces. Wooden beams, wooden panels, a hammer, nails, and a new shovel. I'll get started on this after I read my mail. Maybe some hard work will distract me from how terrible my day has been. Ron heard people follow him out, and Ron resisted the urge to frown at them. They're just going to follow me around all day? Can't they see that I want to be left alone? Ron ignored them as he opened the letter from Gringotts, his eyes focused solely on what was in front of him.

Mr. Weasley,

I have your documents ready for pickup. Please come at your earliest convenience.

We also need to discuss our headquarters situation, and we need to start interviewing reporters.

Until we meet,

Gornuk

Ron pocketed the read letter in his coat pocket, and then he opened the letter from the Fawleys.

Dear Mr. Weasley,

Johnathon has spoken to us about your eagerness to start the 'Werewolf Housing Project' (We can discuss the name further at our meeting). My wife and I would like to invite you to have dinner with us at The Witch's Garden in Diagon Alley on the twenty-third of December at seven thirty.

If the date does not suit you, please let us know. Otherwise, we will see you there.

Lord Oscar Fawley

Ron pocketed the second letter as well, and then he rubbed his face as he drew in a deep breath. Some good news, at least. I'll go to Gringotts tomorrow in order to collect Salazar's notes, and I'll take the twins with me. It is past time I made my peace with them, or at least, try to. If they still refuse to behave afterwards, then at least I'll know that I tried. As for the Fawleys… Things are looking up in regards to them. They've already given the project a name, so it's obvious that they want to go through with it. Now all I have to do is to make sure they put in a lot of money. I'll take Sirius and Marietta with me, and hopefully, that'll be enough to score a bit more money out of them.

"Good news?" Daphne whispered from his side, and Ron shot her a surprised look. When did she get there? "Your shoulders relaxed a little, so I figured that the letters came with good news."

"My shoulders?" Ron whispered back. "I'm not even going to comment on that… You pay way too much attention to details."

"I was just ogling you, that's all," Daphne gave him a weak smile. Trying to cheer me up?

"Yes, I got some good news," Ron said, and then he walked over to the fence.

"Are you really going to build this by hand?" Daphne asked.

"Yes," Ron replied.

"Why?" Daphne asked. "I know that you want to know what it feels like to be a Squib, but you're not a Squib. This seems… unnecessary…"

"Maybe it is," Ron shrugged. "But I need a distraction, and this is it."

Ron then shot a look back, and he saw the others whispering to each other.

"Do you want their help?" Daphne asked.

"Call Theo, Tracey, and Malfoy here," Ron replied. "You four will help me."

"What?" Daphne blinked.

"Some actual work will be a good experience for you," Ron said. "That, and I need a meat shield around me. My siblings are going to keep pestering me with their questions, and I don't have it in me to deal with that nonsense."

"Ron, I'm a Lady…" Daphne pouted miserably. "I'd rather not do this…"

"You want to learn Wandless Magic?" Ron asked, and she gave a slow nod. "Then you need to build some strength. Wandless Magic backfires horribly if your body isn't strong enough, or have you forgotten my many accidents?"

Daphne looked to the fence pieces, and then, she let out a long sigh.

"I'll go fetch them."

---

Gaspard's POV

Tuesday 22nd December, 1993 (A Lonely Hill – Evening)

Gaspard sat in front of the dimming candle, his day long vigil was almost over. Natalia had buried Michael's head on a hill near the village where he had grown up, as was Michael's request should he fall in battle. From what little Michael had told Gaspard of his human life, his son used to play on this hill with his siblings when he was growing up.

Gaspard had mourned all day, and when he was done weeping, he had begun to feel hollow inside. Gaspard had, of course, lost many children in his long lifetime. Vampires were notorious for dying at a young age due to the violent nature of their Curse, but losing a child never got easier. And Michael had been his dearest from the day he was turned. He had the potential to be my true heir, but I couldn't protect him. I'm so sorry…

"Father," came Natalia's voice from behind him, but Gaspard kept staring at the dying candle. "Lucius Malfoy and Cornelius Nott have returned to the Manor."

"And?" Gaspard asked.

"The Death-Eaters of old will be reunited with their Lord tonight," Natalia replied. "Should we attend as well?"

"No," Gaspard replied, and then he looked around the hill. The sun is setting, Michael. I hope you found your way to the afterlife. I will see you again when my time comes, my son.

Gaspard felt Natalia wrap a blanket around him, but he didn't react.

"You are shaking, father," Natalia whispered as she rubbed his arms. "Please… You must eat. Your transformation always weakens you to the point of death."

"This is a beautiful place, isn't it?" Gaspard asked his daughter.

"It is," she replied.

"Thank you for bringing him here," Gaspard finally looked to his daughter. "I think he'll find peace here."

"I think so too," Natalia agreed.

"I'm sorry for raising my hand against you, Nat," Gaspard apologized. "Your brother's death was not your fault. Michael chose to fight, as he always did, and he died in a manner worthy of our Blood."

"Father…" Natalia started, her voice turning slightly strained. "The Dark Lord lied to you."

"I know," Gaspard said. "What really happened, Nat?"

"Michael was left behind by Lucius Malfoy, Cornelius Nott, and Fenrir Greyback," she replied. "Knowing him, he refused to run away from a fight, but he was all alone. If they hadn't shown their backs during the ambush, Michael may have survived."

"But it was Emilia Travers who killed him, correct?" Gaspard asked.

"Yes," Natalia replied. "His head was severed with a very sharp blade, which definitely makes her the prime suspect. She… She left his head on a spike in order to scare the lesser Vampires." And it worked.

"Then she will die," Gaspard said. "I will give Michael that much, at least."

"What of the three who abandoned him?" Natalia asked. "I believe that they must die as well."

"And they will," Gaspard promised. "Before this war comes to an end, they will all die. The Death-Eaters. The Order. Dumbledore. Voldemort. Even myself. The World will be better off without us in it." Gaspard then looked back to Natalia. "You still have the chance to leave, daughter. Find Hecate. She will give you your destiny, as she gave me mine."

"I will leave once Emilia Travers is dead," Natalia said, and Gaspard gave her a nod. "What is our next move?"

"I want to turn Knockturn Alley into our fortress," Gaspard replied. "You've done well to establish a hierarchy amongst the lesser Vampires, and we will build upon it."

"You do not plan to launch an assault against the Order?" Natalia sounded a little pleased.

"You are right," Gaspard said. "I'm terribly weakened at the moment… Once I have recovered my strength, we will hunt them down, and eventually, we'll find this Travers woman." She must be a great warrior if she defeated Michael in single combat. I will relish our battle. "We will start with the Weasley Family." They are avid followers of Dumbledore, and therefore, they most likely know where Travers is.

"Father… The Dark Lord has told us that they are off limits," Natalia reminded him. "He has plans for Ronald Weasley."

"Don't forget that we don't serve him, Nat," Gaspard said, and Natalia quickly bowed her head. "I know you had something to do with his current form, and I know that you took part in an act that has tainted your soul and conscience. I can see the shame written on your face. He took advantage of your rage and sorrow, and you let him." If I wasn't grieving, I might have killed you for your crimes.

"I… I have done a terrible thing…" Natalia swallowed thickly.

"Which is why you will leave after we avenge your brother," Gaspard said. "I will not lose another child… My heart will not survive it."

"I… I understand, father," Natalia whispered, and then she looked to the candle. "The candle… It's run out." Then my vigil has ended. Goodbye, Michael. I will look for you once my time on this plane has come to an end.

"Come, Nat," Gaspard stood up. "We have work to do."

---

Corban Yaxley's POV

Tuesday 22nd December, 1993 (Yaxley Manor – Late Evening)

Corban was still in a sour mood after his disastrous lunch with Ronald Weasley, and Felix had noticed. Oddly enough, Cornelius had not invited Felix Rosier to his dinner party, which had only annoyed Corban even more. They all underestimate him, but he is far more than he appears at first sight. He'll show them all his brilliance one day.

"My Lord, shall we go through?" Felix asked, he had already prepared the floo.

"Of course," Corban broke out of his thoughts, but Felix didn't go through. "What is it, Felix?"

"He got under your skin," Felix pointed out.

"I am once again questioning my desire to befriend him," Corban admitted. "I have seen hatred before, Felix, and Ronald Weasley holds nothing but ill intent towards people like me. And you."

"He's young," Felix shrugged. "Being a teenager isn't exactly easy. I myself was filled with self-loathing and contempt for others." Felix then looked around the greeting room. "It is very odd that Lord Nott asked you not to bring your wife and daughter, is it not?"

"He probably plans to discuss business with his allies," Corban replied. "Cornelius has been… preoccupied… of late, so he no doubt has some scheme brewing."

"Is it wise to bring me along, then?" Felix asked. "Many of your allies do not respect me, nor do they take me seriously."

"Then they are fools," Corban said immediately. "You will prove them wrong in time, Felix, but you must have more faith in yourself. Did we not just save Britain together?"

"We did," Felix gave a nod.

"You will come with me, and if they ask you to leave, I will leave with you," Corban promised his young friend. "Come, Cornelius Nott awaits."

Felix gave Corban an understanding nod, and then he stepped through the fireplace. Corban fixed his robes into place, and then he too stepped through the fireplace. Nott Manor's Greeting Room was dimly lit, and not at all welcoming, which immediately caught Corban off-guard. And to add to the mystery, Corban saw his fellow Pure-Bloods loitering the dimly lit room with frowns and other looks of annoyance.

"Not a very pleasant welcome, eh?" George Selwyn approached Corban and Felix. "Felix, how are you, my boy?"

"I am well, my Lord," Felix shook the man's hand.

"Congratulations on your victory," George looked back to Corban. "Violet has been singing your praises to us all." She has? "She is still under the delusion that you plan to assassinate Mr. Weasley."

"I… will need to speak with her, then," Corban said, deciding to trust Felix's instincts. For now, I'll leave Ronald Weasley be.

"What is going on here?!" Amycus Carrow suddenly snapped, and every Pure-Blood looked to him. "What kind of dinner party is this?!" Control yourself, you Neanderthal.

However, Amycus' loud yelling seemed to work, because just as he finished, the door leading into the Dining Hall opened up. Something is really off here. Where is Cornelius? Where are his servants? Corban felt the urge to send Felix away, but he decided to wait for the time being. The Pure-Bloods all exchanged looks, and then, Amycus and Alecto Carrow barged towards the Dining Hall. One by one, the Pure-Bloods followed after the two heated Carrows, and eventually, they piled into the Dining Hall.

Just like the Greeting Room, the Dining Hall was barely lit. As Corban looked around, he realized that this room wasn't even clean. There's dust on the walls, the furniture, and the dining table… No one has been in this room for quite a while. What is going on here? The other Pure-Bloods had quickly begun to realize that something was off as well, and some of them began to head towards the exit. Just as Avery Jnr and Herbert Crabbe neared the exit, Lucius Malfoy of all people stepped into the room. Lucius? He's here?

"Lucius? Is that really you?" Walden stepped forward, while Corban eyed Lucius' strange appearance.

Lucius, who was easily the most arrogant man that Corban had ever met, was wearing simple black robes. His long, beautiful hair looked slightly disheveled, and his stormy grey eyes were piercing through everyone in front of him. Something is very wrong here.

"Felix," Corban whispered. "Stand behind me, and unsheathe your wand."

"What?" Felix whispered back.

"Do as I say," Corban whispered shortly.

"My old friends," Lucius greeted them all. "It has been far too long."

"Lucius… Are you unwell?" Violet asked, her eyes scanning the man.

"Violet? Egbert brought you here?" Lucius looked through her. "I don't remember Cornelius inviting you to join us tonight."

"You've seen our host?" George Selwyn asked.

"He is… upstairs…" Lucius replied rather calmly. "Please, take a seat. He will be with us shortly."

"We're not doing anything of the sort," Amycus snarled. "Not until you tell us what-"

"Crucio!" came a voice from the shadows, and Amycus' screams filled the room.

Corban, and everyone else, drew their wands instantly, while Lucius just stared at a writhing Amycus. This is a trap! Corban all but yanked Felix, who was jarred into being a statue, behind himself, making sure that the young man was out of the line of fire.

"Fenrir, enough," Lucius said, and Amycus' screams stopped abruptly. Fenrir?!

The Pure-Bloods looked around in a panic, but none of them saw the infamous Werewolf. Alecto was now trying to help her brother, who was wheezing for air. George Selwyn pushed himself past his fellow Pure-Bloods, an angry scowl on his face.

"What is the meaning of this?! Are you mad?!" George demanded, but Lucius just stared at him.

Corban, for the first time since the Great War, felt wary of Lucius Malfoy. It was easy to see just how soft his Family had made the man, but Corban had never forgotten that Lucius was once the Dark Lord's right hand man. And he has Fenrir hidden in the shadows? Is the Werewolf using an invisibility cloak?

"Forgive my lateness," Cornelius walked up from behind Lucius, he too was wearing nothing but dark robes.

Unlike Lucius, however, Cornelius looked younger than he had in years. The old wizard walked with perfect posture, his nose sticking high into the air as he smirked at his fellow Pure-Bloods.

"My friends," Cornelius greeted them. "Welcome to Nott Manor."

"Cornelius, what is going on here?" Walden asked, and Corban realized that all the exits were closed. We'll have to go through them should another attack come. "Is Fenrir Greyback in this house with us?!"

"Answer us!" Egbert aimed his wand at the two wizards, who simply kneeled and bowed their heads.

Every person in the room was taken aback by this odd behavior, including Corban. None of them knew what was going on, but Corban was certain that something terrible was about to happen, and just as he finished that thought, he felt Felix tugging at his sleeve.

"My… My Lord…" Felix whimpered, and Corban slowly turned around.

What he saw froze his blood. A shadowy presence had come to life behind them, and it was spreading through the Dining Hall in a rather slow, and frightening, manner. One by one, the Pure-Bloods turned around as they felt the presence of something dangerous behind them, and only when they were all staring at the growing shadow with fear in their eyes did an icy voice echo throughout the room.

"Savak hashurrrr… Savak ni phirtuuu…" the cold voice hissed, and Corban felt his entire body seize up from fear.

People fell to their knees with horrorstruck looks, while Corban remembered his dead Master's voice. Parseltongue… It can't be. Although this was a joyous occasion, Corban felt nothing but true fear ring throughout his body. It wasn't long before he too was on his knees, his forehead kissing the dusty floor. Felix, thank the Gods, was smart enough to fall on his knees as well.

"My old friends…" the cold voice of the Dark Lord emanated from the growing shadow, and a shudder of panic passed through Corban. It can't be! He died! "My Death-Eaters… Twelve years it's been since we last met. Look at me… Show me your faces…"

Corban had to force his head to look up, the fear in his veins had rendered his body unresponsive. Most of the Pure-Bloods in the room couldn't manage to look up, which was hardly surprising given who was speaking to them right now.

"I sense guilt," the voice spoke softly, which only terrified the denizens of the room even more. "There is an unmistakable stench of guilt in the air." The shadow drew ever nearer. "I see you all, whole and healthy, with all of your powers intact. Such… lavish… appearances. I find myself asking why this band of wizards never came to the aid of their Master, to whom they swore eternal loyalty?"

No one spoke. No one even dared to move. Corban's eyes darted towards Felix for a moment, and he saw that the young man was shaking with fear. If we are to die tonight… I must beg the Dark Lord to spare Felix. He was not one of us during the Great War. He failed no one.

"And I answer myself," the Dark Lord continued. "They must have believed me broken, they must have believed me conquered by Death. They slithered back among my many enemies, and they pleaded innocence, and ignorance, and bewitchment… And then I ask myself, how could they have believed that their Lord would not rise again? They, who had seen proofs of my eternal power, in the times when I was mightier than any wizard to ever walk this Earth?"

"And once again, I answer myself," the growing shadow was nearly upon them all. "Perhaps they believed a still-greater power could exist, one that could vanquish even Lord Voldemort… Perhaps they now pay allegiance to another Master… Perhaps they now serve that foolish 'champion' of the commoners, of Mud-Bloods and Muggles, Albus Dumbledore?"

The mention of Dumbledore's name stirred some of the Pure-Bloods out of their stupors, and many of them, including Corban, trembled and shook their heads.

"It is a disappointment to me…" the Dark Lord hissed. "I confess myself… disgusted… by my own friends."

Amycus Carrow broke at that, and he ran up and cowered before the shadow, his entire body trembling because of the recent Cruciatus Curse.

"Master! Master, forgive me!" Amycus begged, which only terrified everyone else into action. "Forgive my sister! We were fools to believe you gone!"

Before the others could all follow Amycus' example, the shadow lashed out at the trembling man with a smoky tendril. Amycus was sent reeling through the air, and he landed on Goyle with a pained cry.

"You ask for forgiveness?" the Dark Lord whispered. "I do not forgive. I do not forget. Twelve long years I suffered alone, and not one of you tried to find me. Not one of you repaid the faith I had in you."

Corban felt a strong pang of guilt, and he bowed his head in shame.

"Master, we tried to find you," Cornelius spoke from the back, and Corban couldn't even bring himself to look at the man. "Lucius and I traveled far in search of you."

"Yes… But you didn't find me… I found you," the Dark Lord hissed. "I will, however, admit that you two have proven useful over the last few days. May your loyalty never waver again."

"It will not, my Lord," Lucius said.

The shadow suddenly expanded, stopping just before it engulfed Egbert Parkinson.

"Egbert… You and your wife were faithful while I retained my power, but once I was cast down, you both walked away from your duties," the Dark Lord spoke, and Egbert let out a terrified murmur. "I expect more faithful service in the future…"

"Yes, my Lord!" Egbert said quickly. "Of course! You are merciful as always!"

"Thank you, my Lord," Violet joined her husband, her face hadn't left the floor since the Dark Lord's appearance.

The shadow moved onto Avery, who further pushed his forehead against the floor.

"Avery," the Dark Lord whispered. "Your father was a true friend to me, while you turned your back on his legacy."

"I was a fool! And a coward!" Avery begged. "Please… Please, my Lord… Give me another chance!"

"Remember this day, Avery," the shadow began to pass by the man. "Your Lord was merciful, despite your betrayal."

"I will never forget…" Avery whimpered.

"Macnair…" the shadow came to an abrupt halt. "Lucius tells me that you now destroy dangerous beasts for the Ministry… Are you that short on wealth?"

"No… My Lord…" Walden trembled.

"I see," the Dark Lord sounded a little amused, and Walden bowed his head again. "You miss our hunts, don't you?"

"Every single day, Master," Walden confessed openly.

"You shall once again lead my hunters," the Dark Lord ordered. "Lord Voldemort will provide you with hunts beyond your imagination."

"Thank you, Master!" Walden looked ready to weep with joy, his fear completely gone at the prospect of hunting Muggles and Mud-Bloods once again.

The shadow moved ever closer to Corban, and he found himself trembling with panic. What if he doesn't forgive me? What if he kills Felix for my failures? Or Lysandra? Or Anastasia? I must beg him… I must prove that my heart is still his.

"Ah, here we have Crabbe and Goyle," the shadow stopped once again. "You will both be more steadfast in your service, will you not?"

"Yes, my Lord!" Goyle nodded fervently.

"We will, Master," Crabbe shrunk even more.

The shadow moved on, and then, it stopped right in front of Corban, who immediately bowed his head.

"Corban," the voice of the Dark Lord rang through his head. "Did we not dream of a better England together? Did I not deliver on my promises to you?"

"You did, my Lord," Corban felt true shame course though his veins. "I failed you… I will not beg for forgiveness, all I ask for is a chance to prove myself once again."

The shadow lingered for a few moments, and then it suddenly seized Felix by the throat. NO!

"My Lord, please!" Corban begged, while Felix was lifted into the air by the tendril around his throat.

"Who is this?" the shadow hissed. "I do not remember this one…"

"He is Felix Rosier, my Lord," Corban spoke in a frantic voice. "He is Evan Rosier's younger brother, and my friend. Please, I beg you… Punish me if you must, but please… Please spare him…"

The shadow let go of Felix, who tumbled to the ground as he coughed violently. Corban quickly pulled the boy to his side, his arms wrapping around Felix's quivering shoulders.

"Felix Rosier…" the Dark Lord said softly. "Forgive me, child, I can no longer afford risks. If I had known that you were Evan's younger brother, I would not have lashed out."

"I understand… my Lord…" Felix coughed, and Corban felt much calmer thanks to the Dark Lord's words. Felix is smart, he knows that the Dark Lord is not to be questioned.

"Your brother died instead of surrendering to the Ministry's cruelty," the Dark Lord said. "I will honor his sacrifice, and name you one of us. We can always use new blood."

"He is incredibly intelligent, my Lord," Corban said. "He will prove himself worthy, I swear it."

The shadow began to shrink back into the back of the Dining Hall, but its presence still felt overwhelming. It seemed to be studying the people in the room, and the silence was unnerving.

"Where is Robert Bulstrode?" the Dark Lord asked coldly.

"He is overseas," Corban spoke up. "He is still loyal to the cause, my Lord, as his wife. If he had known that you would grace us with your presence, they'd both be here tonight."

"I will put my faith in those words, Corban," the Dark Lord spoke, and Corban bowed his head once again. "But if they prove to be untrue, Lord Voldemort will not forgive you a second time." The shadow then shrunk even more. "Lucius and Cornelius have work for you all. Listen to them, and do as they command. Their words are the words of your Master."

No one said anything, but they all knew what this work entailed.

"War… is coming…" the shadow hissed, and then it suddenly burst throughout the room.

Violet Parkinson let out a scream as the shadow blew past all of them, and the sound of shattering glass resulted in Corban pulling Felix under himself. The chandelier had shattered, and then it had crashed down onto the dining table. No one made a sound, not even after the Dark Lord's presence was gone. Not one of them had the courage to even stand up.

The Dark Lord had returned, and their cause had returned with him. Despite his fear, Corban felt a glimmer of hope in his heart. England could once again be a peaceful Pure-Blood Society, and he would not waver a second time. Tonight… We just witnessed a miracle. Our Master is truly beyond even death. He is the only man who can save this country. This World!

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AUTHOR'S NOTES: And there it is! Now, I know that many of you expected Ron to find a way to win, despite the overwhelming odds, but I always planned for him to get wrecked by Yaxley. Ron, despite being the MC, is not unbeatable. He has to obey the laws of this story's universe, which I have spent a long time constructing. Yaxley just had too much going for him, and Ron's own camp was filled with ambitious people who couldn't care less about Ron.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed that. The Death-Eaters are back, baby! And they won't be anything like the movies portrayed them as! Each of them will be dangerous as fuck!

See you guys on Wednesday!