Ron Weasley: False Light

Ron Weasley

Ron woke to the sounds of moans, shouting, and harsh laughter. He felt like he weighed a hundred stone and was embedded in the wet floor. Above him loomed Snape, pocketing an empty vial.

Snape straightened as he sneered down at him. "Having a nap, I see."

Fragmented images and sensations came to him. Rushing cold water. Ginny, breathing shallowly, her head just above the surface. Ginny, he tried to say, but all that came out was a croak. He slowly rolled onto his side, searching for her.

Prone bodies filled the corridor. A blonde woman lay near his feet, shivering and coughing. On the other side was a mess of red hair. Ginny was as pale as parchment, but she caught his eye and gave a quick nod.

Across the corridor lay the man with thinning hair that he'd met. His lips were blue, and he wasn't moving. Did he know his name? He couldn't remember. Don't think about it. You didn't even know him. But something was rising into his throat and choking him.

"Blood traitor!" a guard shouted. Someone whimpered, and a herd of feet stomped closer. The guards circled someone. A ministry robe flew into the air and disappeared.

Percy escaped the circle, now stripped to his underclothes. He clutched his wand and shifted his aim from one guard to another.

"The minister doesn't know how things work around here," said a guard. "Or maybe he does and couldn't help himself. Which excuse will you use with the warden tomorrow morning to save your skin?"

Another guard laughed harshly. "The minister would rather eat his wand than admit to being stupid. Traitor it is, then. Can't wait to have you in one of my cells. I'll make sure you get the special treatment you deserve."

Percy was a traitor? Ron croaked again.

Snape glanced down at him. "He moved the barriers and vanished the water. Prevented most of the work crew from drowning. Strictly against the rules." He tilted his head as he studied Percy.

Percy broke away from the guards and ran until he stumbled over a sick prisoner and collided with Snape. His face twisted in a grimace. "I didn't," he said.

"You did," Snape replied coolly. "There are multiple witnesses."

A small warmth pushed against the numbing coldness. Percy had saved them. Finally, Percy had realized his mistake, done the right thing, and protected innocent people against dark wizards. Suddenly, he could smell the Burrow, the scent of the warm sun on summer grass. It made him ache.

He had to talk to Percy. But when he opened his mouth, a burning rose in his gut. His stomach contracted, and he vomited saltwater over Percy's shoes.

Percy stumbled away, turning in circles until he faced Snape again. "I don't care what the witnesses say. I was only…" his mouth worked for a moment. "Several of these prisoners haven't been questioned yet. They might have valuable information. It's not good policy to lose them before they've been interrogated."

Snape studied him. "That's why I'm here. I've come to take Ron Weasley for interrogation."

Ginny struggled to her hands and knees and crawled towards Ron.

"That's good," Percy said slowly. "You should interrogate him." He crossed his arms over his thin undershirt and frowned. "You'll send your report directly to me?"

Snape tensed. "If I'm still here in the morning. I've other duties to attend to once this storm breaks. I'll send it to Azkaban by the end of the week."

"But I'm seeing the warden tomorrow morning. If I don't have something to—" He stopped, pressing his lips together for a moment. "I should observe the interrogation. Supervise."

Snape looked him up and down. "You're rather underdressed to be supervising anyone."

Percy flushed, glancing back at the guards. "They took my robe, and they won't…"

Percy was slipping away again, when he'd come so close. But he couldn't tolerate embarrassment. Ron cleared his throat. He could at least spare him a little humiliation. "Like with Fred and George," he rasped. "Remember?"

Percy's face cleared. He muttered a spell, and his underclothes lengthened along his arms and legs, slowly darkening to a navy blue. The twins had a penchant for sneaking up behind their brothers and vanishing their trousers at inopportune moments. Even if they weren't adept at transfiguration, they all learnt to adapt their mum's hem-lengthening and dyeing charms.

Percy brushed down his new trousers and let out a long breath, his shoulders relaxing.

Ginny crawled close and collapsed next to Ron. He put his arm around her shoulders, the damp material of her prison uniform sticking to his fingers. They both stared at Percy. Ron knew how pathetic they must look. But he hoped Percy could see past that, to simply know what he was thinking. Remember what home felt like? He could see Percy standing in that summer grass, close enough to touch. He reached out his hand.

Percy took in a sharp breath, his eyes glimmering.

But then the light faded. "I have to report to the warden in the morning." Percy's voice was thin and pleading. He glanced at the guards, gave a small shake of his head, and stepped back. His gaze dropped, and he fussed with his sleeves. "The interrogation rooms are on the first level, I think."

The warmth disappeared, leaving behind a dull, hollow pain. He was beyond shivering, the coldness sinking deeper. It felt like he would never be warm again. He closed his eyes and groaned. Who needed dementors when he had Percy?

Snape's eyes narrowed. "I've not yet agreed to your attendance. I require neither your suggestions nor your supervision."

Ginny tapped Ron's arm. She was trying to say something. He pulled himself closer. She traced her tattoo of a stylized sun in sharp angles and pressed her finger against his chest. Warmth radiated through him, chasing away the chill.

"… Multiple reports I can file," Percy told Snape. "Each will require a formal response on your part…"

Ginny collapsed to the floor, her head by Ron's ear. "Sirius," she rasped.

"Yes, fine." Snape eyed Percy with distaste. "Tag along, if you must."

Ginny gripped Ron's shoulder, whispering insistently. "Don't let him use legilimency on Sirius."

Ron shook his head. "I don't think I–"

"Do what you can. It's important." Ginny squeezed his shoulder. "You've always done so much more than you thought you could."

Snape stared down at them. "Another family reunion?"

Ginny stiffened and shook off his arm with a growl. "Just trying to get my fool brother to take the work seriously." Her eyes flicked to Percy. "I'm ashamed to be called your sister." She quickly turned back to Ron and gave him a solid smack to the head.

"Ow! Bloody hell, Ginny."

"Sibling squabbles, is it?" Snape's gaze moved slowly across her tattooed arms. "Surprising that you survived the dementor."

Ginny stared back at him, her eyes wide and vacant. "There was a dementor?"

Snape ignored her and focused on Ron. "Up you get."

His stomach clenched. He'd heard of Death Eaters' growing skills in interrogation through legilimency. He used the wall to drag himself up to standing and flexed his hands. Still functioning, thankfully. They even felt stronger than they had this morning.

Snape gestured to the stairwell. "Shall we?"

At the stairwell, the stone steps spiraled away into the darkness. Ron's legs wobbled just looking at them, but there was nothing for it. He made his way down.

"If you would simply submit the proper interrogation reports…" Percy continued.

"I'm a minister and you are not, despite the fond nickname the guards have given you…"

Blimey, these two squabbled worse than grindylows over a trout. Much more of this and he'd crack without interrogation.

"If you're so interested in interrogations, why don't you simply apply for training in legilimency?"

Percy was silent.

Snape's voice could have dried the dripping walls. "Rejected, were you?"

"Only those with certain experience are admitted—"

"Only the most trusted of the Dark Lord, you mean. It appears your relationship isn't as close as you thought."

Please shut up, Ron thought desperately. He didn't want to hear how Percy wanted to drill into the minds of innocent prisoners, how he scrambled to get close to Voldemort. It had all been so much easier to bear when Percy wasn't right behind him, saying these things. When he was just a memory he could direct his anger at. Now he couldn't work out what he was feeling. He only knew it was a pressure in his chest, threatening to crush him.

The steel door at the bottom of the stairwell opened to the sounds of piercing howls. Oppressively dank air settled on him, and water gushed somewhere ahead. He shivered. "What is that?"

Snape's voice was dark. "The Bath."

A scattering of torches weakly penetrated the darkness. After they passed through an archway, the corridor opened into a large chamber. The howls increased in intensity. A figure crouched over a large grate in the floor, his wand moving frantically. The dim light slowly revealed other figures. Two guards stood to the side with their arms crossed. "Level's rising again," one said.

Ron drew closer to the hunched figure. It was Sirius. A shackle chained his leg to the bars, and he held a prison-issue wand, identical to the ones they'd used to repair the walls above. Sirius cast spell after spell, but not at his shackle or the guards. He directed them through the grate.

On the other side of the grate, a wolf thrashed in the quickly rising water. Its eyes bulged, and foam clung to its panting mouth.

It took a moment for Ron to connect the dots. Not a wolf—a werewolf. "Oh, hell." His voice broke. "Remus."

Sirius didn't acknowledge him. He was entirely focused on the pit below, his wandwork never stopping. He siphoned away water and the level inside the pit dropped, only to surge upwards again. His shirt lay discarded on the floor, and darkening bruises and cuts covered his tattooed back. Sweat-soaked hair plastered his greying face.

"Very focused, don't you think, Combs?" one guard said to his companion.

Combs nodded. "Hope he doesn't get distracted." He grinned and launched a loose stone at Sirius.

The stone struck Sirius on his shoulder, breaking the skin. Blood trickled out, joining dried rivulets running down his arms and back. He stumbled forwards onto the grate, but his wand never stopped moving.

"I think he's done well. He deserves a reward. What do you think, Black? Want to go free?"

Sirius didn't turn to look at them.

"I don't think he believes you, Barrow," Combs said. "Traitor like him thinks he'll have to fight his way out. Maybe we should give him a sporting chance." Combs cast a spell, and the shackle fell away from Sirius's leg. "There you go, Black. Want to give it a shot? All those wide-open spaces up top. I bet you miss those. We'll just hang around here and see if a werewolf can hold its breath."

For a second, Sirius stopped and stared at the werewolf below. Then he settled himself and cast again.

This was why Ginny was so insistent that they not show affection for each other. He imagined Ginny in that pit while he strained to keep her alive. Despite all the cruelty he'd seen during the war, the Combs and Barrows of the world always found new depths of depravity.

There had to be something he could do to stop this. He needed a wand. A real wand. He'd gotten Snape's wand away from him before. He just needed to follow it in whatever direction it flew. But Snape was close enough to hear, so Ron whispered his wandless spell. "Expelliarmus."

Nothing happened. And it dawned on him why the guards insisted on prisoners using those terrible wands. It was a good way to keep them from developing wandless magic. He had to put every bit of his energy and focus into channeling his magic through the wand. The trick to wandless magic—besides lots and lots of practice—was that it was effortless. You had to forget all the focused attention on a wand and find the natural magic in the body's movements. But he'd spent the entire day relentlessly focused on a wand. It was hard to switch gears, and his exhaustion wasn't helping.

Ron glanced at his interrogators, who now stood on either side of him. Snape watched with something flickering in his eyes. Percy stood with his mouth open and his wand hanging loose.

The hell with wandless magic. He kicked a pebble sideways, and it clattered into the darkness. Startled, Percy turned, following the sound. Ron seized Percy's wand and cast quickly. His magic flowed through the wand, smooth as butter. It was beautiful.

The water level plummeted. He ran towards the pit, casting evanesco again and again.

Snape shouted a stunning spell, and Ron dodged, never letting up on his vanishing spells. But as he approached the pit, his wobbly legs faltered. His vanishing spell hit the grate instead. The grate disappeared, and he plunged headfirst into the pit.

He hit the rising water, his whole body locking up as the coldness grabbed him. Forcing himself to move, he twisted and splashed until his feet found the floor and he could push himself upright. His hand had locked up, too, still clenching the wand.

Two hatches faced him on opposite sides of the pit. The larger one was sealed tight. The other was open and the source of the frigid water rapidly gushing in. Ron cast a spell to close it, but it was stuck tight to the wall. Of course.

Something snarled behind him. Ron swallowed and turned around.

The water was shallow enough that the werewolf could keep its hind feet braced on the floor. Despite its wet fur, it raised its hackles as its gaze bored into him.

"Hi, Remus," Ron said weakly. "Remember me?"

Purple-black lips drew back, revealing glistening fangs.

Drowned or eaten. Tough choice.

The werewolf dove towards him. Ron turned his wand to the side and vanished the remaining water.

Remus, unprepared for the change, lunged too hard and missed Ron, slamming into the wall.

Ron rolled away and cast a stunning spell. Remus collapsed, his massive body thudding against the stone floor. Water was already pouring in again. He aimed at the sealed hatch on the opposite wall. It tore off and flew to the other side, covering the open hole. He stuck it in place and the flow of water finally stopped.

For a moment, all was quiet. Ron sat in the pool of remaining water, taking deep breaths. Then a soft slithering sound emanated from the newly open hole. A swarm of tentacles emerged, attached to the red, bulbous faces of four dementors.

Ron didn't know if the sudden despair he felt was from the dementors or his own rotten luck. "Oh, for fuck's sake."

He was so tired. Bone-achingly, head-splittingly tired. He got to his feet and prepared to attempt another patronus. But then something warm enveloped him, and he was lifted off his feet and out of the pit.

Sirius was levitating him, grinding his teeth, the muscles on his wand arm standing out like ropes. As soon as Ron's feet touched the floor, Sirius collapsed, wand falling from his hand.

Ron wanted to go to him, but he spun and cast a levitating and freezing charm. The remaining water in the pit froze into sharp daggers and shot directly into the rising dementors.

They shrieked and flailed, dragging the daggers out with their tentacles.

Ron attacked them again, but they whipped out the ice as fast as he could cast it. He could feel his strength waning, even with a real wand.

A shining silver figure jumped past him, and he sagged with relief. Sirius had managed a patronus. "Thanks." He turned, but Sirius was still semi-conscious on the floor. He glanced back at the patronus, and realized it wasn't the silver dog he'd expected. It was–

"No need to thank me." Snape stepped next to Ron, his gaze never leaving the pit. The silver doe tossed its head, and the dementors retreated to their hatch. "Simply ensuring your foolishness doesn't leave Azkaban overrun with dementors." He twisted his wand, and a duplicate of the hatch cover appeared, fitting tightly into place over the hole. Chains hanging from the nearby wall lengthened and wove together, forming a net over the pit.

Remus roused himself a bit, whimpering. The dementors had bypassed the werewolf, but he'd likely been hurt when he slammed into the wall.

Ron knelt in front of the chain-link net. "Remus, are you all right?"

Remus leapt, far higher than any wolf could manage. Claws tore at the chains. One of the heavily rusted links broke off, and a chain slipped apart. He leapt again, thrusting his upper body through the gap, his sharp teeth snapping.

Ron fell back, just escaping the jaws from clamping onto his leg.

Snape strode forwards, slashing his wand. An iron muzzle wrapped around the werewolf's snout. More chains appeared and wrapped around his legs.

"Stop," Sirius said, still laid out on the floor, his eyes unfocused. "He won't be able to swim." He shivered. "I can't… The dementors…"

It's all right," Ron assured him. "I've sealed off the water. And the dementors are gone."

"Quite." Snape held out his palm to Ron, fingers twitching impatiently.

Does he expect me to shake his bloody hand in gratitude? Then Ron realized what he wanted, and he was in no position to refuse. Sighing, he handed over Percy's wand.

Percy stepped forwards eagerly, but Snape pocketed the wand, eyeing Percy distastefully. "Secure the prisoners in the interrogation room first. I suspect your wand is less likely to end up in your brother's hand when I'm in possession of it."

"What's that supposed to mean? It was an accident," Percy insisted. "I was looking at…" He stared at the pit and swallowed. "He took me by surprise."

"And you failed to cast anti-theft charms on your wand once you arrived? You knew you would be surrounded by desperate prisoners. Is that not written in one of your handbooks?" He shook his head. "Sadly, there's no handbook to instruct idiots on common sense." He directed his wand at Ron.

Ropes wrapped around Ron's arms and pulled them behind his back. Sirius was next, his eyes opening fully as the ropes tightened.

Combs looked at Barrow. "Get a few more guards down here. Looks like these traitors need taught a lesson."

"Ministers have priority with interrogations, and I need to interrogate all three."

Combs frowned at Snape. "How're you going to interrogate a werewolf?"

Snape sighed heavily. "It's the last night of the full moon. The best time to interrogate him will be in a few hours, when he's human and weakened by three nights of transformation."

"He's supposed to be in solitary for the full week—"

"He's not in solitary now." Snape ground his teeth. "I've waited five days to interrogate him. If any more of my time is wasted, I may need to look more thoroughly into how much free time the guards have here. It's generally a sign of redundant staff. Perhaps cuts are needed."

Barrow and Combs glanced at each other. "We'll take the wolf back to his cell," Combs said. "He'll be ready in the morning."

Snape turned to Sirius. "Hear that, Black? Your little friend will be nice and safe in his cell. I think you should thank me as well."

Sirius looked up at Snape with utter hatred in his eyes. "Ron saved him. You shouldn't even be here. You should be torn to bits in the Shrieking Shack. Tell me, did you ever thank James for saving your worthless life?"

Snape snarled and slashed the air with his wand. Sirius fell to the floor, unconscious.

xx

Ron and Sirius were both thrown on the floor of an interrogation cell. Ron instinctively tried to throw his arms out to break his fall, but they were bound tightly. He landed on his tailbone, the shockwave shooting through his spine.

Snape tapped a wall torch with his wand. "Weather report."

The fire turned green, and a face peered out. "Storm's tapering off a bit. But the barges still can't—"

Snape shut off the firecall and paced the room. "Five days."

Right, no barges could get through the storm. So Snape wasn't just hanging round to question Remus. He was stuck there, too. Ha. "Five whole days." He gave a low whistle. "Have you started scratching hash marks on the wall?"

Snape glared at him. "I've responsibilities far more important than wasting my time here."

"Sorry to keep you from the wife and kids."

Sirius laughed mirthlessly. "As if Snape would ever have a wife and kids. We had a spell back at Hogwarts that turned a person green if they were still a virgin. Snivellus spent the day matching his house colors. I'd wager he still hasn't known the touch of a woman."

Something odd passed over Snape's face, but it was gone quickly. "Still tallying notch marks on the bedpost like a pubescent teenager, Black? It's unfortunate that witches your age have matured beyond quick fumbles in the rose bushes. No girls following you now, are there?"

Sirius glared. "Not many dates in Azkaban. What's your excuse, other than your looks and personality?"

Snape's eyes gleamed. "Shall we start the interrogation with you?" he asked, his voice oily.

Percy's face shifted from wary to eager. "How does legilimency work?"

"It's a simple incantation. The difficulty is in interpreting the thoughts and memories you perceive. The mind is complex, with layers and contradictions." Snape glanced at Sirius. "Assuming the subject has any brains at all."

Ron breathed sharply. This is what Ginny had been worried about. Sirius wouldn't talk under questioning, not even with torture. But if he had important information in his head, he wouldn't be able to hide it. He needed to get their attention away from Sirius. He snorted, all bravado. "We've kept all sorts of things from interrogators. Doesn't seem like that spell works at all. Or maybe you lot just aren't very good at it."

Snape only gave him a disinterested glance. It reminded him of his old classes. Once Snape locked onto someone he disliked—Harry, usually—he bore down until he got whatever reaction he was looking for. Hermione had often tried to distract him, but it rarely worked.

He started spinning words wildly. "It was common knowledge in the resistance. None of us even worried about interrogation once word got out how easy it was to fool you." Come on, then. Stick your stupid magic in my head.

Snape was unmoved. "We'll start with Black." His eyes glinted. "Although I suppose a bit of practice is in order first." He turned to Percy. "I'll cast the spell on you to show the basic mechanisms at work."

"Wait." Percy raised his hand, palm out. "I don't think that's necessary."

"As a specialist in the art, I'll decide what's necessary for proper instruction." Snape raised an eyebrow. "But if you wish simply to observe, you may do so. I'll note in my report that you were offered an opportunity to advance to a coveted station and refused."

Percy got a familiar look in his eyes, and Ron's heart sank. Percy couldn't resist the pull of his own ambition.

Snape proceeded with his instruction, stopping often to cast the spell on Percy. He seemed far more interested in demonstrating his own legilimency skills than letting Percy try it. Soon Percy was backed into a corner, gritting his teeth as Snape grilled him on the differences in technique.

The git couldn't help himself. Years after Hogwarts, and he still lectured like he was in his potions classroom, acting like he held the secrets of the universe in that overinflated head of his. But Ron listened carefully to the paltry bit of instruction Snape offered in between insults and lofty statements about his own abilities. Maybe there was a way to resist legilimency. He vaguely remembered something about that.

He turned to Sirius, nudging his shoulder. "Didn't Hermione say there was a counter-spell to these interrogations? Occupancy?"

"Occlumency. Never learnt it. Could do without my family's dark spells." Sirius shook his head. "Think we've got a chance to overpower them? You got Percy's wand from him once."

"Right, but Snape has it now."

"Snape's not as strong as he pretends."

Snape hadn't noticed their conversation. He was focused on Percy, coldly mocking him, while Percy struggled to keep his composure. Snape's wand was out, his arm slightly raised as if already preparing to cast.

"Yeah," Ron said faintly. "Bet he falls apart all the time."

The darkness in Sirius's eyes deepened. "He used to."

Ron struggled in his bonds, but they didn't budge. "If we can't get a wand, what then? Do you know any wandless spells?"

"You do. Expelliarmus."

"It's no good." His throat tightened. "You know what it's like using those prison wands. I'm all used up."

"You're not." Sirius looked at him steadily. "They work hard to break you down here. Don't let them. You're stronger than this place. You have to be."

"Another inspiring speech, Black?" Snape had finished his instruction or dressing down or whatever it was, and he and Percy approached them. Snape returned Percy's wand to him as he eyed Sirius. "Don't you ever tire of hearing yourself talk?"

"Don't you? Then again, it must be difficult to speak much when you're on your knees, servicing Voldemort."

Snape's lip curled. "Charming." He turned to Percy. "Black would never lower himself to learn the mind magic passed down in his family. You should be able to break into his mind as easily as a child's."

Sirius stared back stonily, but his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed.

Snape cast a spell. It pushed Sirius onto his knees and forced his head up. Percy hovered eagerly.

Shite. They were still going to start with Sirius. Ron fished for something to say. "Ask me a question, then. I'm not afraid of you." For once, his complete lack of knowledge about what was going on was an advantage.

"You don't know anything," Percy said haughtily. "You weren't the leader of your rebellion. You've never been anybody important."

He couldn't believe he'd once looked up to Percy. That he'd been so determined to be in Gryffindor so he wouldn't disappoint him and his other brothers. "Merlin, what's wrong with you? Dad died because of people like Snape. The people we've been fighting. And now you're going to help him? Find out what we know and use it against us?" His anger had kept him steady, but now a raw hurt rose to the surface. He felt his eyes sting, and he hated himself for it. "Dad died, and you didn't even come to the funeral. You just dove deeper into the Ministry. You should've seen Mum's face when she got your message. Dad loved you, and you couldn't be bothered."

Percy rounded on him, his eyes wide and his mouth twisted. "Dad never would have died if he hadn't joined your cause. He would've been home, safe, instead of alone, protecting some useless prophecy."

"For Merlin's sake, Voldemort killed Dad. Have you not put that together? He was torn apart by snake bites. Know anyone who has a pet snake?"

"Those bites could have been from anything! And anyway, prophecies can only be taken by whoever the prophecy is about. The security charms showed no wizard entered the Department of Mysteries. What do you think, that Nagini stole a prophecy that wasn't even about her?"

Ron frowned. They'd never quite figured out the sequence of events that night. Nagini shouldn't have been able to take that prophecy, even if she was Voldemort's pet. Even house-elves couldn't steal prophecies for their masters. "Voldemort probably came along after—"

"He would've been detected." Percy rubbed his forehead. "I can't go over this again. You act like I'm the one who cut the family off, but none of you would speak to me after Dad died. If I hadn't had my work to focus on, I would've gone mad."

Ron remembered. They'd heard through others that he was always at his desk, working feverishly. He claimed he couldn't come to the funeral because of work responsibilities. Ron had been disgusted. It hadn't occurred to him it was his way of coping. "I didn't know."

"Don't let him get to you, Ron," Sirius said. "It was the same with my brother. Always full of excuses for why he had to support the pureblood cause. I tried to get through to him, but it was hopeless. And my parents—I didn't even bother. Be glad you have a father you can be proud of. Better to die for a cause than live as a simpering toady."

Anger flashed in Percy's eyes. "You don't know anything about my father. You and your stupid cause. You think he's some noble martyr, but if Dad had just put his energy into proper Ministry channels, like I've done—"

"Percy," Ron said. "Dad would've wanted you to—"

Percy swung his wand, and the wall next to Ron exploded in chips of stone. He felt a sting and a trickle of blood on his cheek.

"Don't act like you know what Dad would've wanted. If you'd listened to me, if you'd supported the Ministry, then Dad would be here, and he could tell me himself. Fred and George could've…" He stopped and swallowed. "Our whole family would've been safe."

"Because you're purebloods," Sirius said. "What about everyone else? They can go hang?" Sirius couldn't move much in the position he'd been forced into, but he managed a bitter laugh. "You're better because of who your grandparents were. I know that logic. I came from a family with that logic. Turning my back on them was the best thing I ever did."

It hurt, but it was something he needed to hear. Sirius was right. Percy might have moments where his conscience forced him to act. But he hadn't acted when the news was filled with reports of muggles and muggleborns disappearing. He'd chosen his side. Percy might not even try to save him next time. "None of us are going to choose safe over doing what's right," he told Percy. "You would know that, if you were really family."

Percy raised his nose, a sure sign he was going into lecture mode, and Ron couldn't stand it. "Oh, shut it. I can't hear more about how we should've hidden away while our world was destroyed. Only you would think like that." He caught Snape watching him and stuck his chin out. "The both of you. Slunk off to the other side the first chance you got. Traitors. Cowards."

Snape stepped closer. "Watch your mouth," he hissed.

"I'll say what I want. I'm not like you, with your lies and schemes."

"Ah, yes. Gryffindors, so honest and true." Snape's voice turned silky. "But I suspect you have a few things you're not forthright about. The location of all your bases, for instance? Perhaps I should take a stroll through your memories."

Hell. He'd thought he didn't have any information worth having, but Hermione might be at one of those bases. She could be caught unawares.

Snape stared directly into his eyes. Hadn't he said something to Percy about eye contact? Ron turned his face away.

"Tut, tut, Mr Weasley. Who's a coward now? There'll be no hiding from me. So determined to be brave when all you are is reckless. Endangering everyone around you so you can hide from your own mediocrity. But not to worry. I'm sure I can find memories to enlighten you. I'll keep at it all night if I have to."

Drowning, werewolf, dementors. He'd been through hell, but it was the prickling of Snape's words that inflamed his terror. He forced his head up and stared back. "I'm not afraid of you."

"No? Let's see." Black eyes bored into his, and his thoughts rippled as something pushed through.

In the corner of his eye, he caught a flash of green. The torch. A voice called out. "Minister Snape? You said to inform you when there was a change. The storm's let up and moved to the east. A barge is on its way and—"

The presence in his mind vanished. Snape whipped around and rapped on the torch base. "Top floor." With a pinch of powder, his form rippled and was siphoned into the flame.

Percy stood there gaping. "Wait! What about my lessons in interrogation? What about Lupin? You said you wanted to…" He trailed off as the flame returned to a glowing yellow-orange.

Ron stared at the flame. "Huh. Maybe he does have a wife and kids."

Sirius wriggled slightly in his body-bind. "So, are you going to interrogate me, or…?"

Percy glared at him and rattled on the door until Combs appeared. Combs glanced at Ron and Sirius. "What d'you want to do with them?"

"Put them in their cells until I… prepare my questions," Percy said.

Combs frowned. "We've just gotten a message. They need extra men on the work crew on level three."

"Fine, then." Percy stomped out.

Combs locked the door again and called for reinforcements, leaving Sirius and Ron alone.

"Thanks for the distraction," Sirius said.

"Of course." Ron paused. "Was it obvious?"

"A little too obvious, mate."

Ron shook his head. "Ginny said to keep you from being interrogated. What, are you leader of the resistance again? You haven't been here that long."

"Thought I'd try. Make up for my past mistakes. I'm remembered as the great glorious leader of the war, for all the good I did." He sighed. "There'll eventually be another interrogator. What do we do then?"

"What we always do," Ron said. "Put our heads together and work something out. I probably shouldn't ask, but—what are you planning?"

Sirius stared ahead grimly. "I'm not spending another twelve years here. And neither is anyone else. We're breaking out."