Hopefully I can include a little more Ron POV in this chapter, however, it isn't gonna be by much. This is another Rowling heavy chapter that is much needed to be told in full detail, as it is very important.
Also, I had to break this chapter up. It was getting too long.
Reading ahead, I realize we will be spending a lot of time in Grimmauld Place, as I stated in the last chapter. I'm thinking of a good 2 or 3 more chapters, maybe even 4. There will be plenty of opportunities to squeeze some Romione moments in, even if they are just short glances. Hopefully y'all don't get bored with the length. I felt like Harry tended to breeze through a lot of things, and frankly, he had no choice as he had to focus on the objectives in front of him. But even though Ron was right with him through the majority of it, I feel he got to take more time to analyze and take it all in. Especially with the Horcrux hunt.
Might be a good time to add in the reminder of the Rated M rating, as with the Horcrux hunt, things will get heavier, especially with Ron's mental. Strong adult themes will happen. I will happily give trigger warnings in the u to of a chapter if those themes come up, however, you may miss key points of the story if you skip.
Again, I am going to try my best to keep the updates way more consistent over a span of years again. And shoutout to the 1st reviewers in a while, that is happy to see my return! It gave me motivation.
On with the fic!
Chapter 198: The Muggleborn Registration Act.
If Kreacher could escape a lake full of Inferi, then of course he could manage to capture Mundungus in less than a couple hours. Harry seemed to have had slightly lifted spirits than before what we found out happened to the locket, and I for one was looking forward to assisting him in roughing the sneak thief up a bit. However, Kreacher did not return that morning or even that afternoon. By nightfall, we all were starting to feel discouraged and anxious, and worst of all, hungry. Hermione tried her best to find something and whip it up, but with inky moldy bread to work with, it wasn't an easy feat. Not even a bit of transfiguration could help the sorry meal.
Kreacher did not return the following day, nor the day after that. However, two men in black cloaks had appeared in the square outside the house. They stayed there into the night, gazing in the direction of the house that thankfully they could not see.
"Death Eaters, for sure," I said as we watched from the drawing room windows. "Reckon they know we're in here?"
"I don't think so," said Hermione, though trying to sound brave, I could hear her fear. , "or they'd have sent Snape in after us, wouldn't they?"
"D'you reckon he's been in here and has his tongue tied by Moody's curse?"I asked.
"Yes," said Hermione, "otherwise he'd have been able to tell that lot how to get in, wouldn't he? But they're probably watching to see whether we turn up. They know that Harry owns the house, after all."
"How do they -?" began Harry.
"Wizarding wills are examined by the Ministry, remember? They'll know Sirius left you the place."
"Oh," said Harry, sighing. "Right."
The presence of the Death Eaters outside did not help our spirits lift at all in that dreary house. We had not heard a word form anyone beyond Grimmauld Place since Dad's Patronus, and we were all starting to inadvertently irritating each other. Apparently, me playing around with the Deluminator was starting to particularly infuriated Hermione. I would click it over and over absentmindedly, however, I was also flashing the lights on and off while Hermione was trying to read and find whatever lesson Dumbledore had left her in Tales of Beedle the Bard.
"Will you stop it?!" she cried on the third evening of Kreacher's absence, as all the light was sucked from the drawing room yet again.
"Sorry, sorry!" I said, clicking the Deluminator and restoring the lights. "I Don't know I'm doing it!"
"Well, can't you find something useful to occupy yourself?"
"What, like reading kids' stories?"
"Dumbledore left me this book, Ron –"
"—and he left me the Deluminator, maybe I'm supposed to use it!"
We hadn't even noticed that Harry had left the room.
"Well I'm positive he didn't leave it to you to use so carelessly! Especially when I'm reading, Ronald!" harped Hermione.
"Oh forgive me for accidentally flickering some lights and disturbing your peace." I said with a huff. "This isn't exactly a holiday for me, I have you know!"
"Nor is it for me either!"
"Could've fooled me!"
"You're so insufferable, Ronald Weasley!"
"Oh like I've never heard that before!" I yelled, not even realizing that I had stood up and gotten closer to her. I looked down at her annoying gorgeous brown eyes looking back at me with disdain. Then, I softened. This was ridiculous. We were really letting this house get to us.
I sighed, putting my hands on Hermione's shoulders. They were stiff and unmoving. Yeah she was definitely pissed.
"Look, sorry, alright?" I said, admitting defeat. "I shouldn't be inconveniencing you like I have."
With the apology, Hermione's shoulders had relaxed. Her eyes softened, and her face gave a shadow of a smile. "I'm sorry too. I know you aren't doing things on purpose. I feel...I feel like these walls are closing in on me. I only wish I could go outside for a spell. Eat some decent food and feel the sun, you know?"
I nodded. I truly missed Mum's home cooked meals. Her shepherd's pie and treacle tart would really hit the spot right about now.
"Maybe when Kreacher finds ol Dungface we can see about getting some fresh food, yeah?" I said, moving her closer to me"
Hermione nodded as she began to embrace me, burying her face into my shirt. I held her close, feeling her show breaths as they traveled through her body.
"I really hope he hurries-"
Suddenly, we heard the harping of Sirius's bloody mum, screaming out insults and disdain. Something wasn't right.
Hermione and I whipped out our Wanda and ran down the stairs. There, we joined Harry, who already had his wand out pointing to a mysterious figure at the door.
They had found a way in. We were gonners. Was it too late to apparate out?
The man raised his hands up in surrender, a move that caused me to tilt my head.
"Hold your fire, it's me, Remus!" said the man.
"Oh, thank goodness," said Hermione weakly, pointing her wand at Mrs. Black instead; with a bang, the curtains swished shut again and silence fell. I sighed, relieved as I lowered my wand. Harry, however, was still having his at the ready.
"Show yourself!" he called out.
Lupin moved forward into the lamplight, hands still held high in a gesture of surrender.
"I am Remus John Lupin, werewolf, sometimes known as Moony, one of the four creators of the Marauder's Map, married to Nymphadora, usually known as Tonks, and I taught you how to produce a Patronus, Harry, which takes the form of a stag."
I let out another relieved sigh alongside Hermione.
"Oh, all right," said Harry, lowering his wand, "but I had to check, didn't I?"
"Speaking as your ex-Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, I quite agree that you had to check. Ron, Hermione, you shouldn't be so quick to lower your defenses."
I rolled my eyes, but joined Harry and Hermione in running down the rest of the stairs towards him. Wrapped in a thick black traveling cloak,he looked exhausted, but pleased to see us.
"No sign of Severus, then?" he asked.
"No," said Harry. "What's going on? Is everyone okay?'
"Yes," said Lupin, "but we're all being watched. There are a couple of DeathEaters in the square outside –"
"We know!" I exclaimed.
"I had to Apparate very precisely onto the top step outside the front door to be sure that they would not see me. They can't know you're in here or I'm sure they'd have more people out there; they're staking out everywhere that's got any connection with you, Harry. Let's go downstairs, there's a lot to tell you, and I want to know what happened after you left the Burrow."
We made our way down the flight of stairs that lead into the kitchen, where Hermione pointed her wand at the grate. A fire sprang up instantly: It gave the illusion of coziness and only slightly warmed us the way that it used to when we would all be here back when it was the Order's headquarters. Lupin pulled a few butterbeers from beneath his traveling cloak and we sat down.
"Wicked!" I said, taking one and passing it to Hermione, who had sat down beside me. Harry sat on the other side of the table, and looked just as pleased as I did with the butterbeer. It felt like getting a Halloween treat in a way.
"I'd have been here three days ago but I needed to shake off the Death Eater tailing me," said Lupin. "So, you came straight here after the wedding?"
"No," said Harry, "only after we ran into a couple of Death Eaters in a café on Tottenham Court Road."
Lupin jumped, wasting half the butterbeer down the front of his shirt.
"What?" he exclaimed, voice dripping with worry.
We proceeded to explain what had happened at the cafe that night; when we had finished, Lupin looked dumbstruck.
"But how did they find you so quickly? It's impossible to track anyone who Apparates, unless you grab hold of them as they disappear."
"And it doesn't seem likely they were just strolling down Tottenham Court Roadat the time, does it?" said Harry.
"We wondered," said Hermione inquisitively, "whether Harry could still have the Trace on him?"
"Impossible," said Lupin. I gave Hermione a smug look. I told her right, I did.
"Apart from anything else, they'd know for sure Harry was here if he still had the Trace on him, wouldn't they? But I can't see how they could have tracked you to Tottenham Court Road, that's worrying, really worrying."
"Tell us what happened after we left," said Harry, not troubling himself over Lupin's concerned face. "We haven't heard anything since Ron's dad told us the family was safe."
"Well, Kingsley saved us," said Lupin. "Thanks to his warning most of the wedding guests were able to Disapparate before they arrived."
"Were they Death Eaters or Ministry people?" interjected Hermione.
"A mixture; but to all intents and purposes they're the same thing now," said Lupin. "There were about a dozen of them, but they didn't know you were there, Harry. Arthur heard a rumor that they tried to torture your whereabouts out of Scrimgeour before they killed him; if it's true, he didn't give you away."
Harry looked at Hermione and I. On the one hand, Scrimgeour had been a right foul tosser of a man. However, to risk his life to protect Harry when he didn't have to? That took a great amount of courage. I hoped that he didn't have to endure his pain too long.
"The Death Eaters searched the Burrow from top to bottom," Lupin went on."They found the ghoul, but didn't want to get too close – and then they interrogated those of us who remained for hours. They were trying to get information on you, Harry, but of course nobody apart from the Order knew that you had been there.
"At the same time that they were smashing up the wedding, more Death Eaters were forcing their way into every Order-connected house in the country. No deaths," he added quickly,noticing the worried expressions on our faces, "but they were rough. They burned down Dedalus Diggle's house, but as you know he wasn't there, and they used the Cruciatus Curse on Tonks's family. Again, trying to find out where you went after you visited 're all right – shaken, obviously, but otherwise okay."
"The Death Eaters got through all those protective charms?" Harry asked.
"What you've got to realize, Harry, is that the Death Eaters have got the full might of the Ministry on their side now," said Lupin. "They've got the power to perform brutal spells without fear of identification or arrest. They managed to penetrate every defensive spell we'd cast against them, and once inside, they were completely open about why they'd come."
"And are they bothering to give an excuse for torturing Harry's whereabouts out of people?" asked Hermione in that voice that meant she was holding in her anger.
"Well," Lupin said. He hesitated, then pulled out a folded copy of the Daily Prophet.
"Here," he said, pushing it across the table towards Harry, "you'll know sooner or later anyway. That's their pretext for going after you."
Harry smoothed out the paper. We could see the top of what looked like Harry's head. He read the headline outloud over it:
WANTED FOR QUESTIONING ABOUT
THE DEATH OF ALBUS DUMBLEDORE
"COME OFF IT!" I yelled in disgust. How fucking dare they not only pin Dumbledore's death on Harry, but also act like they really gave a flying fuck about Dumbledore! Hermione had words of her own to say as well. Harry, however, said nothing. He pushed the newspaper away looking as if he had just cost us the Quidditch Cup.
Hermione had taken the paper and began to read, making faces at the more than likely horrid lies in the paper.
"I'm sorry, Harry," Lupin said.
"So Death Eaters have taken over the Daily Prophet too?" asked Hermione furiously.
Lupin nodded.
"But surely people realize what's going on?" she said
"The coup has been smooth and virtually silent," said Lupin. "The official version of Scrimgeour's murder is that he resigned; he has been replaced by Pius Thicknesse, who is under the Imperius Curse."
"Why didn't Voldemort declare himself Minister of Magic?" I asked. Seems like the most pompous thing for him to do.
Lupin laughed. "He doesn't need to, Ron. Effectively, he is the Minister, but why should he sit behind a desk at the Ministry? His puppet, Thicknesse, is taking care of everyday business, leaving Voldemort free to extend his power beyond the Ministry.
I gave Harry a look, which he probably missed, as he was still staring at the spot where the paper was before Hermione snatched it.
"Naturally many people have deduced what has happened, " continued Lupin. "There has been such a dramatic change in Ministry policy in the last few days, and many are whispering that Voldemort must be behind it. However, that is the point: They whisper. They daren't confide in each other, not knowing whom to trust; they are scared to speak out, in case their suspicions are true and their families are targeted. Yes, Voldemort is playing a very clever game. Declaring himself might have provoked open rebellion: Remaining masked has created confusion, uncertainty, and fear."
"And this dramatic change in Ministry policy," said Harry, "involves warning the Wizarding world against me instead of Voldemort?"
"That's certainly a part of it," said Lupin, "and it is a masterstroke. Now that Dumbledore is dead, you, the Boy Who Lived, were sure to be the symbol and rallying point for any resistance to Voldemort. But by suggesting that you had a hand in the oldhat's death, Voldemort has not only set a price upon your head, but sown doubt and fear amongst many who would have defended you."
"Meanwhile, the Ministry has started moving against Muggle-borns."
Lupin pointed at the Daily Prophet.
"Look at page two."
Hermione turned the pages, face turning into pure disgust. I leaned in, trying to see what she was reading.
"Muggle-born Register!" She read aloud. "'The Ministry of Magic is undertaking a survey of so-called "Muggle-borns" the better to understand how they came to possess magical secrets."
"'Recent research undertaken by the Department of Mysteries reveals that magic can only be passed from person to person when Wizards reproduce. Where no proven Wizarding ancestry exists, therefore, the so-called Muggle-born is likely to have obtained magical power by theft or force."
Hermione had to take a breath with that one. I closed my eyes and growled. This was clear discrimination.
"'The Ministry is determined to root out such usurpers of magical power, and to this end has issued an invitation to every so-called Muggle-born to present themselves for interview by the newly appointed Muggle-born Registration Commission.'"
"People won't let this happen," I said. No way would the wizarding world stand for this injustice.
"It is happening, Ron," said Lupin. "Muggle-borns are being rounded up as we speak."
"But how are they supposed to have 'stolen' magic?" I questioned. "It's mental, if you could steal magic there wouldn't be any Squibs, would there?"
"I know," said Lupin. "Nevertheless, unless you can prove that you have at least one close Wizarding relative, you are now deemed to have obtained your magical power illegally and must suffer the punishment."
I looked over at Hermione. I couldn't let that happen. I swore I would protect Hermione with everything in me. And I would risk my life in doing so.
"What if purebloods and half bloods swear a Muggle-borns part of their family?" I asked, looking her in the eyes. "I'll tell everyone Hermione's my cousin."
Hermione looked back at me with surprised and concerned eyes. She reached over and took my hand, squeezing it tenderly.
"Thank you, Ron, but I couldn't let you –"
"You won't have a choice," I said, cutting her off and gripping her hand tighter. "I'll teach you my family tree so you can answer questions on it."
Hermione blushed, giving a nervous laugh, eyes not leaving mine.
"Ron, as we're on the run with Harry Potter, the most wanted person in the country, I don't think it matters. If I was going back to school it would be different. What's Voldemort planning for Hogwarts?" she asked Lupin, looking back at him, but not letting my hand go. Harry looked at me, raising one eyebrow. I continued to hold her hand, but looked over at Lupin, as if I was interested in what he had to say.
"Attendance is now compulsory for every young witch and wizard," Lupin replied. "That was announced yesterday. It's a change, because it was never obligatory before. Of course, nearly every witch and wizard in Britain has been educated at Hogwarts, but their parents had the right to teach them at home or send them abroad if they preferred. This way, Voldemort will have the whole Wizarding population under his eye from a young age. And it's also another way of weeding out Muggle-borns, because students must be given Blood Status, meaning that they have proven to the Ministry that they are of Wizard descent, before they are allowed to attend."
I felt sick to be honest. So now it was mandatory? Their parents couldn't even protect their children? What would happen if You Know Who thought that their blood wasn't pure enough? What if they never came home?
"It's . . . it's . . ." stammered Harry a bit, looking as if he was thinking the same thing I was and couldn't get his words out.
"I know," said Lupin quietly. Then he cleared his throat, as if changing the subject.
"I'll understand if you can't confirm this, Harry, but the Order is under the impression that Dumbledore left you a mission."
"He did," said Harry, "and Ron and Hermione are in on it and they're coming with me."
"Can you confide in me what the mission is?"
"I can't, Remus, I'm sorry." said Harry with no hesitation. "If Dumbledore didn't tell you I don't think I can."
"I thought you'd say that," said Lupin, looking disappointed. "But I might still be of some use to you. You know what I am and what I can do. I could come with you to provide protection. There would be no need to tell me exactly what you were up to."
Harry looked as if the idea held merit. I, for one, thought it would be a swell idea. We could use a more experienced wizard on the team.
Hermione, however, tilted her head at him and looked confused.
"But what about Tonks?" she asked.
"What about her?" said Lupin.
"Well," said Hermione, frowning, "you're married. How does she feel about you going away with us?"
"Tonks will be perfectly safe," said Lupin, "She'll be at her parents' house."
He sounded off. Too nonchalant for my taste. Harry and I gave him uneasy looks.
"Remus," said Hermione tentatively, "is everything all right, you know, between you and – "
"Everything is fine, thank you," said Lupin politely and quickly.
Hermione looked as if she struck a nerve. It certainly seemed like she had to him. Which made us all even more curious as to what was going was starting to feel very awkward.
Lupin then sighed, looking as if what he was about to say was above things, with an air of forcing himself to admit something unpleasant, "Tonks is going to have a baby."
"Oh, how wonderful!" squealed Hermione.
"Excellent!" I said happily. Wow! Tonks being a moment? That sounded amusing. And a little dangerous. Hopefully she had her balance in check before the baby was born.
"Congratulations," said Harry with a smile.
Lupin look3d as if he was trying to smile, however, it came off as more of a wince.
"So, do you accept my offer? Will three become four? I cannot believe that Dumbledore would have disapproved, he appointed me your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, after I must tell you that I believe we are facing magic many of us have never encountered or imagined."
That felt weird. Hermione and I gave a look to Harry, then back to Lupin.
"Just – just to be clear," Harry began. "You want to leave Tonks at her parents' house and come away with us?"
"She'll be perfectly safe there, they'll look after her," said Lupin, with an air of indifference that I was starting to not like. "Harry, I'm sure James would have wanted me to stick with you."
"Well," said Harry slowly, "I'm not. I'm pretty sure my father would have wanted to know why you aren't sticking with your own kid, actually."
Tension. Instant tension. Hermione looked back and forth between Harry and Lupin. I started looking around the room, as if I were trying to find something that wasn't there.
"You don't understand," said Lupin at last.
"Explain, then," said Harry.
Lupin swallowed.
"I – I made a grave mistake in marrying Tonks. I did it against my better judgment and have regretted it very much ever since."
Fuck. That made me look dead at him. How the hell could you regret your child? Circumstances that be, yes. But to speak as if he wishes he never got Tonks pregnant was bogus. Shit, he should have kept his wanker to himself if he felt like that.
"I see," said Harry, "so you're just going to dump her and the kid and run off with us?"
Lupin sprang to his feet, toppling his chair backwards. He glared hard at Harry, almost as if he wanted to pounce onto him. I have never seen such fierceness in his eyes like that before.
"Don't you understand what I've done to my wife and my unborn child? I should never have married her, I've made her an outcast!"
Lupin kicked aside the chair he had overturned.
"You have only ever seen me amongst the Order, or under Dumbledore's protection at Hogwarts! You don't know how most of the Wizarding world sees creatures like me! When they know of my affliction, they can barely talk to me! Don't you see what I've done? Even her own family is disgusted by our marriage. What parents want their only daughter to marry a werewolf? And the child – the child – "
Lupin actually seized handfuls of his own hair, pulling it as if he was distraught. I was starting to feel a bit bad for him. He did have a point. His child would be shunned, treated poorly, and who knows what else. It was honestly something that was very horrible, something I would never want my child to go through.
"My kind don't usually breed! It will be like me, I am convinced of it – how can I forgive myself, when I knowingly risked passing on my own condition to an innocent child? And if, by some miracle, it is not like me, then it will be better off, a hundred times so, without a father of whom it must always be ashamed!"
"Remus!" whispered Hermione, tears in her eyes. "Don't say that – how could any child be ashamed of you?"
"Oh, I don't know, Hermione," said Harry. "I'd be pretty ashamed of him."
Damn. Even i felt that sting. Lupin surely felt it too, because he gave Harry a look of hurt. As if he couldn't believe Harry would say something like that about him.
"If the new regime thinks Muggle-borns are bad," Harry said, "what will they do to a half-werewolf whose father's in the Order? My father died trying to protect my mother and me, and you reckon he'd tell you to abandon your kid to go on an adventure with us?"
Again, tension. This was starting to get too heated.
"Mate..."
"How – how dare you?" said Lupin. "This is not about a desire for – for danger or personal glory. How dare you suggest such a – "
"I think you're feeling a bit of a daredevil," Harry said, "You fancy stepping into Sirius's shoes –"
"Harry, no!" begged Hermione, but Harry wasn't having it.
"I'd never have believed this," he said. "The man who taught me to fight dementors – a coward."
Lupin drew his wand so fast that Harry had barely reached for his own. There was a loud bang and he felt himself flying backward as if punched. He slammed into the kitchen wall and slid to the floor. Lupin had walked swiftly off without a care in the world.
"Remus, Remus, come back!" Hermione cried, but Lupin did not respond. A moment later we heard the front door slam.
I had nothing to say. All I could do was look at Harry and wonder what the fuck.
"Harry!" exclaimed Hermione. "How could you?"
"It was easy," said Harry, shaking, voice dripping with attitude. Hermione stared at him in disbelief.
"Don't look at me like that!" he snapped at Hermione.
"Don't you start on her!" I snapped, not tolerating the disrespect. Hermione didn't do shit to him. She didn't deserve his attitude.
"No – no – we mustn't fight!" said Hermione, standing in between us, arms out.
"You shouldn't have said that stuff to Lupin," I said. "That was bloody wrong."
"He had it coming to him," said Harry, voice cracking. "Parents shouldn't leave their kids unless – unless they've got to."
"Harry –" said Hermione, moving her hand to console him. He shrugged it off, turning his eyes onto the fire Hermione had conjured.
I looked over at Hermione who looked at me. We both passed a look that we had done many times during 5th year, when Harry was his most broodiest. Harry could get very mean when he was in a mood, and sometimes it was hard to make him realize that he is indeed in the wrong.
Harry turned around and caught us giving glances, which we tried quickly to avert the other way.
"I know I shouldn't have called him a coward." he said with a sigh
"No, you shouldn't," I promptly responded.
"But he's acting like one."
"All the same..." said Hermione.
"I know," said Harry. "But if it makes him go back to Tonks, it'll be worth it, won't it?"
Hermione looked down while I gave a noncommittal shrug. There could have been a more tactful way to get Lupin to see reason and go back to his wife.
We sat down once again. Harry across from us, Hermione sitting close to me. It was an eerie calmness and silence taking up the room now, as Harry glanced at The Daily Prophet.