Autumn 1991
Ronald Weasley
The room hung still in an oppressive silence. Whatever warmth that had been left before his mother's tirade had quickly disappeared in a dark humming of power. Ron felt as if the air around him was electrified as if anything he touched might send a shock through his fingers. His breath came in shallow bursts, the weight of the confrontation pressing down on his chest like he had been run over by a muggle car or had been sat on by the groundskeeper, Hagrid.
A small silvery tear slipped down his cheek, and then another and another. Ron did his best to brush them away hastily, not really wanting either the Headmaster or Professor Snape to look at him too closely. His hands trembled as he tried and the more he tried the more tears followed. He could hardly believe what had happened, he had of course expected things to go terribly but not as terrible as they had. He imagined his mother would be mad, that she would ask him to explain himself or something like that. Instead, he swallowed, she had called him a liar to his face. He hadn't lied to her, at least not directly. In fact, Ron had written to her and told her the truth and told her what he had done. More tears rolled down his cheeks.
Ron clutched the arms of the chair to steady himself, his knuckles turning white from the pressure. A distant part of him tried to remind himself to hold it together, that there were bigger things to worry about. He had to focus on his mission, no matter what his parents thought. Yet, his mother's words ringed loudly in his ears and he felt as if he was going to be sick.
"Ronald," Dumbledore's usual calmness had returned to him. His voice cut the grim atmosphere of the room and caused Ron to look up at him. The Headmaster's eyes were watching him with a piercing kindness.
Without another word, Dumbledore reached into his robes and produced a crisp lilac-coloured handkerchief which was about two feet longer than it should have been. With a wave of his hand, the fabric whirled its way across the room to rest in Ron's lap. Ron took it to his face to stem the flood of water.
"Take your time," Dumbledore said gently. "We all understand the pain that love can bring."
The electricity that had been heavy in the air slowly dissipated leaving a calm rhythmic pulse that seemed to emanate from the walls of the room itself. Ron wondered if the Headmaster's office had some sort of enchantment like the room of requirement, that maybe it bent to Dumbledore's will. Either way, Ron was glad for the feeling, it took some of the heaviness away from his chest and allowed him to think more clearly. For the first time in what felt like hours but what had probably only been a few dozen minutes, he took a deep slow breath and his heartbeat started to slow.
The brief silence was broken again, this time by Professor Snape who spoke low from behind Ron. "A commendable effort, Mr Weasley. Few your age would find themselves capable of holding their emotions under such circumstances. Perhaps your outbursts can yet be overcome."
"You did display remarkable composure in a situation where many grown witches and wizards would have failed," Dumbledore added. "Your strength is not diminished by these tears you've shed, Ronald. Quite the opposite, in fact. They speak to the depth of your humanity and your care for your family."
Ron nodded. He wasn't sure if the Headmaster was right. He cared what his parents thought, that much was true, but small intrusive thoughts pushed themselves into his mind. Thoughts that begged him to forsake their feelings and do what was right no matter if they liked it or not. Thoughts, which he wasn't easily dismissing. After all, he had saved Hermione's life. No matter what they said or did to him, he would make the same choice again. He would make the same choice every won't like it when I kill Charlie's killer…
Ron swallowed hard, the weight on his chest easing some more. He relaxed the hand that still clung to the arm of the chair and brought it up to smooth back his hair which had grown longer since he started Hogwarts. Soon, he thought idly, he might look a little like Charlie if it kept growing.
Dumbledore's expression softened further and the Headmaster took to his chair again, leaning forward on his desk as he did so. "You must not take your mother's words to heart. Molly Weasley is a woman of fierce love and deep fear, and in her distress, she has said things that are not true to her nature. She loves you, Ronald, even if her fear for your safety clouds her judgment."
Ron took a deep breath. "I didn't want to be a Slytherin…"
Dumbledore shared a small kind smile. "No, I imagine not. There are very few who would willingly wish themselves into such a situation. Very few who would like to become, for the lack of a better term, a black sheep among their family. And, often, I find that it is the worst sorts of families that can raise such an individual. I would find it very hard to believe that you wanted to be anywhere but Gryffindor."
Ron nodded. "I always thought I would be."
"And your parents, for their failure to express themselves, have always thought the same." Dumbledore sighed lightly. "Sometimes the life we wish to live is not the one we are destined to. So we must make the best of what we are given. I can assure you, Ronald, that your parents will realize this sooner than you may imagine. Think, how many friends have you made on this journey thus far?"
Ron ran through the list in his head, which, to his surprise, was larger than he had thought. In Slytherin he had Blaise, Tracey, Daphne, and maybe even Theo. In Gryffindor, he had his brother Percy of course, Harry, Hermione, and Neville. Not to mention Sal or even Penelope Clearwater if he ever wanted to take her up on her offer. Despite himself, he couldn't help but feel even more assured about the choices he was making. After all, his friends had stood by him when his family hadn't.
"Many?" Dumbledore asked beamingly. Ron thought the Headmaster seemed to delight in the fact that Ron had friends. He wondered if the Headmaster truly cared about every student or if Ron had just somehow gathered his interest. Which, he felt a surge of anxiety, was not necessarily a good thing. Dumbledore probably wasn't the one who let the troll into the castle… but Ron didn't want him to have suspicions about Salazar either.
"Yes," Ron nodded. "More than I had before."
"Then despite these issues with your family, you will live up to the life you are meant to, Ronald. Perhaps it is fate if such a thing exists, or some other force that has put you into Slytherin. But I will say that Miss Granger is probably happy and very lucky about that change. Your friends too, and perhaps, even your professors." Dumbledore sent an accusatory glare at Snape.
"I can imagine that you would have been entirely insufferable as a Gryffindor, Mr Weasley," Professor Snape said coldly.
Dumbledore's smile grew a tad larger. "Your parents will learn to accept this, you just must give them time. I know it is a terrible thing for them to say these words to you, but you must leave room to forgive them. It is not you that they have a problem with Ronald, it is the past. They are scared of the future because the past haunts them. It is why I had to mention your mother's brothers during our… conversation. Do you know much about them?"
Ron shrugged. He knew that they were twins, like George and Fred and that they had died fighting servants of you-know-who after Harry had killed him. He knew his mother sometimes blamed them and said they should have given up because the war was over. Although Ron had never considered it before, he now knew he disagreed with his mother entirely. They shouldn't have given up because there were still people out there who would do the same things that Voldemort did. He had to stop himself from shivering. Perhaps the Headmaster was right, maybe if his uncles Fabian and Gideon were alive then they too would have hunted the man who was going to kill Charlie. Maybe, it wasn't his grandmother he was most like but it was them instead. Or maybe he was a mix of both.
"They were good students and about the bravest Gryffindors to pass through these halls in quite some time," Dumbledore provided.
"Entirely insufferable…" Snape added.
"When they died, Ronald, your mother took it to heart. I believe that she regretted not joining them in their fight against the evils of this world, but she was a young mother with children to raise. No one would blame her for sitting out the war, nobody except herself of course. Now, she sees that you're walking a different path and it scares her for no fault of your own. She is afraid that you will follow in the footsteps of those who killed her brothers, or perhaps only slightly better the entire troll incident has reminded her that her children are just as vulnerable. She does not want that pain again, I can assure you of that. You see, there are costs to war that are seldom discussed. Scars that are beneath the surface of our skin. Do you understand what I mean?"
Ron nodded. He knew exactly what the Headmaster meant. After all, even though Ron couldn't really remember anything from the years following the war he had scars of his own, didn't he? The nightmares that wouldn't go away and the green lights he sometimes imagined. The way he could picture lifeless eyes and smell burning canvas. Ron frowned. Did his parents have similar nightmares about the war? Did the Headmaster?
"I—" Ron's voice wavered and he cleared his throat. "I understand, sir. I'll listen to them… if they want to apologize."
Dumbledore nodded proudly. "You have a good heart, Ronald."
A gentle lull laid between them, a sudden idea rushing to the front of Ron's mind. "Professor, can I ask you something else?"
"It would seem there is no better time,"
"I was thinking… about the school and how things are arranged. I was almost sent with a handed-down wand, my parents couldn't afford a new one for me and well I was wondering if there are any programs for students who can't get new things. Like… you know… a fund."
The smile fell from Dumbledore's face and was replaced with a small sad look.
"You are not the first to have these concerns, Mr Weasley," Snape interrupted. "And I can assure you that you will not be the last."
"I'm afraid Professor Snape is right, Ronald. Although I wish I could help you and say that yes such a program exists or could be started, that is just entirely not true. You see, I may be the Headmaster but my power here only goes so far. We are a free school Ronald so we do not collect much in terms of Galleons, and what we do collect must be paid out so our staff can make a living. Any additional income comes from the board of directors who are all wealthy men and are not at all interested in helping poorer students. At least, not those which do not benefit them in some other way."
Ron frowned harder. So, once again, it seemed the money was the problem. That the people who held most of the Galleons were using their wealth to benefit themselves and nobody else. When he was more successful, Ron promised, he would see to the fund himself. Maybe, he thought but didn't believe it, Sal was right and some king would give him a grand gift if he saved Hogwarts.
The door creaked open at the back of the room and Ron turned his head over his shoulder. To Ron's surprise his brother entered, Percy's prefect badge glinting in the low light of the office.
"You wanted to see me, sir?" Percy asked. His eyes briefly flashed to Ron's and then to the Headmaster again.
"Ah, yes, Mr Weasley," Dumbledore greeted. "Please, do take a seat, I was discussing with your brother here about the function of the school. And, I have heard from Professor McGonagall that you both had something you wished to ask me. I thought it would be best if you came now, to save your brother the trouble of finding you afterwards."
Is he following me?Ron's heart beat fast again. He would have to make sure he doubled around a few times before he went to visit Sal anymore.
Percy gave a confused look but crossed the room nonetheless and sunk into the chair aside from Ron. Ron offered him a forced smile which only caused Percy to raise his brow. Ron knew Percy was smart and he could probably guess just from the colour of Ron's face that something was the matter.
The door opened and closed again as Professor Snape stepped out without so much as a word to anyone. Ron thought that Dumbledore might say something but instead, the Headmaster just wore a wide smile.
"It's about Harry Potter, sir," Percy said. Ron thought as if Dumbledore's smile flattened for a second. "He has a terrible life at home, his uncle and aunt are the worst kind of muggles."
Dumbledore nodded and let out a small breath. "And it concerns you? His living situation?"
"It does sir," Percy continued. "Something must be done, to protect him from them. Isn't he owed that much? He defeated you-know-who after all."
"Yes, the wizarding world owes much to Mr Potter. Voldemort was a scourge that we are happy to be rid of," Dumbledore said. Ron noticed Percy flinch when Dumbledore said Voldemort's name.
"His cousin sometimes hits him," Ron decided to add. It was the only thing he could think of that he knew that maybe Percy didn't.
"Right," Percy nodded. "So we have to do something, get him some other place to live. You know, so he doesn't have to go back at the start of summer."
"I am afraid," Dumbledore frowned, "that such an action while certainly a worthwhile cause is not entirely possible."
"Not possible, sir?" Percy asked. Both he and Ron shared confused looks.
Who can tell Dumbledore no? Is it the same board of directors?
"There is a reason that Harry has been left in the care of his aunt and uncle, a very good reason. A reason which mustn't be known to all. I see your actions and your concern, and I applaud you both as Mr Potter's friends. But, simply, our hands are tied."
"Why, sir?" Percy asked.
"As you are both very good friends of Mr Potter, I shall let you know. There is involved in this situation a great deal of ancient magic, magic of the oldest and most powerful kind. The magic spreads through blood like a malediction. Only this blood sorcery is not of the evil sort, it is a kind of protection mechanism which keeps Mr Potter safe. Both of you must understand that Harry is a very famous wizard, indeed. While he is safe here, he would not be safe in the world at large. Followers of Voldemort still evade capture for many reasons and we can not be so certain that they would not seek revenge."
"He's being protected…" Ron muttered and let the words hang between them. He could hardly believe that Harry was being treated as basically a House Elf because it protected his life.
"Oh… I see…" Percy said slowly. "If he's removed from his family then someone might attack him."
"Yes, I am afraid so," Dumbledore said gloomily. "Blood sorcery is a tricky thing, I trust neither of you to ever venture into it."
"But still, sir," Percy continued. "There has to be something done."
"There will be," Dumbledore nodded. "I will accompany Mr Potter home by myself at the end of the year. I will speak to his aunt and uncle and I will remind them of the type of environment that Harry deserves." Dumbledore smiled slyly and glanced around the room. "I trust neither of you to tell on me, but muggles are not quite aware of our laws. A good threat can go a long way in straightening the road when it comes to misbehaviour."
Dumbledore's going to threaten muggles? swallowed thickly.
Percy's eyes widened. "You're going to threaten them, sir?"
"Certainly," Dumbledore nodded. "I am, after all, the supreme mugwump, don't you say that the ministry should fix this, Mr Weasley."
Percy nodded vigorously. Whatever doubts Ron had seen in his eyes vanished with the mention of the ministry.
"Now, would you care to ask anything else before I dismiss you both?"
"Er— could you write my parents, sir?" Ron asked. He stole a small ashamed glance at Percy. "They're going to Romania for Christmas, and well, I'd like to go to the Greengrass' instead of staying here. I don't think I can write them myself… not yet."
A kind smile returned to the Headmaster's face. "Of course, Ronald."