Author's note: I apologize in advance for all the descriptive paragraphs and the limited dialog. There are too many things going on to allow for the characters to discuss each one. Please bear with it and read closely. There are hints.
Chapter 30-Wheels in Motion
Ron sat in the chair with Nagini at his feet. Voldemort looked into Ron's eyes leaving him breathless and in agony from the pain Voldemort dealt. He focused on the picture of Luna in his head. When he couldn't concentrate on that he thought of a huge ham and cheese sandwich. He was finding it difficult to focus on anything but the pain. He looked for something…anything to look forward to.
"Weasley, you are much braver than I had given you credit for. Do you want to run? I'll let you live if you can get past Nagini. Otherwise, Nagini will be allow to have her will with her prey." Voldemort's face was a caricature of evil. Ron could not look into his eyes. He feared that Voldemort would find more to terrorize him.
Ron wouldn't speak. He knew Voldemort was playing a game of chicken with him. If he agreed to the challenge, he knew he could not escape. His legs had been bound for nearly two months. He had no strength. He would have to crawl.
"You are wise, Weasley. You see the folly of running." Ron stared in terror as Voldemort read his very thoughts. Do you remember the childhood song, "Itsy Bitsy Spider." Would you like one of my men to sing it to you? Ron could see a shadow of a large spider on the floor next to Nagini. He was sure that it was an illusion.
"An illusion? He had been right. The large spider was an illusion, but in Voldemort's hand was a small spider which was placed on Ron's arm. It crawled up his arm to his neck.
A flash of excruciating pain rocked Ron. His neck was on fire. The spider had bitten him. It was moving back down his arm and bit him again. He could feel the swelling in his neck. It was making it hard to breathe and he could see his arm swelling between the elbow and wrist. He shook violently in fear of another bite.
"Just because I need you as bait doesn't mean that this is all a game." Voldemort turned and walked out of the room leaving the spider on Ron's arm.
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Lupin's plan depended on complete secrecy. Each member of the team would only be given their part of the plan to avoid revelation should one person be caught. It also ensured that reactions to events within the plan were authentic. It was dangerous. It also depended completely on the goodwill of the Minister of Magic.
In the December 28th issue of the Quibbler and The Daily Prophet a report of the altercation at the Yule Ball would be published in each newspaper. The accounts of the events will include the illegal use of the 'forbidden curses' and that they are currently being held at Hogwarts under maximum security awaiting transfer to Azkaban. The account would also include the decree of the Minister of Magic that they had both been found to be enemies of the wizarding world. The terms of their incarcerations would be life at Azkaban without possibility of release or parole. They would be placed under 24 hour guard in solitary confinement. Visitation would not be allowed.
Lupin had not told Harry and Hermione anything except not to worry. The decree by Minister Fudge was fraudulent and so was the prison term. They would be paraded in public as public enemies being sent to prison in shackles. The security once in the carriages would be minimal. That would be the most dangerous part. It would provide a cover for getting as many people close to Azkaban with a perfectly logical reason. They would be going there on Tuesday.
"Do we know how many there are in the vicinity of the house were Ron is being held?" Harry asked.
"No, but we have a plan for that too. You only need to worry about making your part look as pitiful and heart-wrenching as possible." Lupin instructed. "The idea is to use Voldemort's tactics from the Department of Mysteries against him. He will have Harry Potter and Hermione Granger coming to his doorstep with relatively little protection. He will do whatever is necessary to get to you."
"What happens if he does? What then?" Harry said looking at Hermione with a worried look.
"He won't, trust me." Lupin sounded sure. Hermione and Harry both thought that Lupin was one of the smartest wizards they knew. It must be part of the plan they would not be allowed to know.
As Lupin outlined the next couple of days' events for Harry and Hermione, Dumbledore and Snape were using the veritaserum on Carl and Pansy. They found out many interesting names and locations. Who in the school was loyal to their Death Eater fathers and who they were keeping loyal under threats of bodily harm. The most interesting of the name was not a student at all. That name could instantly spoil Lupin's plan. It was top secret to everyone at Hogwarts except Snape and Dumbledore.
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The guests at the Yule Ball remained for several more hours hoping to hear what had happened. The band continued to play. The food was still great and after a short while the dancing commenced again as excitement dwindled.
At 1:30 AM the last of the guests headed off for their rooms in the towers. The house-elves were instructed to return the Great Hall to its normal configuration. After this was complete, Professor McGonagall came to the room where everyone but Harry and Hermione was staying. Draco had been returned to the room to avoid telling him too much of the plan. As much as everyone wanted to trust him, this plan was too delicate to take the chance. He had understood and was rather glad to go back and spend time with Ginny.
"Well, everyone. There is only one thing that I can tell you all. Some good has come of this tragedy tonight. We think we know where Ron is." Mrs. Weasley collapsed in tears on Percy's shoulder. Luna looked back at Professor McGonagall with a questioning look. "What? You know where Ron is? Go get him!" She was so excited that Draco and Ginny could see the goose bumps on Luna's arms. Draco and Ginny each took one of Luna's hands. She looked so relieved. It still had not hit her.
"I cannot tell you where, but I can tell you that that may be the only good news. There is a strong possibility that Harry and Hermione may both be sent to Azkaban awaiting the inquiry by the Wizengamot. That will not happen until the early part of next week if it happens. The decision will not be made until Monday when everyone returns to work at the Ministry of Magic.
"How is that possible? They can't do that, can they? Draco, tell me they can't do that." Ginny was upset. She had become so close to Hermione and Harry. Luna shook her head in dismay.
"I don't know anything more than you do sweetie," he lied.
"I am going off to bed. I recommend that you do the same. There are many things to accomplish the next few days. I suggest that you spend as much time as possible with Miss Granger and Mr. Potter. It may be a while before you see them again. If ever." Professor McGonagall hated this charade, but the reasoning for it was very good. She would do her part.
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The next morning, Bill and Charlie were sent off to search for Ron on the eastern seaboard. Reporters from the Quibbler and The Daily Prophet were gathered after the rumors were let out about the Yule Ball. Professor Dumbledore sent Snape and Lupin to answer the questions. Inspector McDougall of Scotland Yard arrived at 11 AM to meet with Arthur who had been put in charge of the investigation from the Hogwarts point-of-view.
The questions of the reporters raised more questions upon hearing the answers. They each had clearly understood that Harry Potter had indeed become mentally unstable and used the Cruciatus Curse on a first-year student believing him to be an agent of Lord Voldemort. The school had also completed an inquiry into the use of the 'killing curse' by Miss Granger on September 28th. The supposition was that they had made a pact to study the Dark Arts together to protect themselves at all costs. Rumor had it that they had befriended the student who had been returned that same night Miss Granger used the curse. He was the son of noted Death Eater Lucius Malfoy. They had been planning on a method of disposing of Malfoy since his return. They were dangerous to the entire wizarding world. The information had been obtained through interrogation using veritaserum. A written timeline was presented to each reporter in the honest attempt to prevent the loss of faith by the families and friends of the current student body. They were in damage control mode.
Additionally, information was finally going to be released to the general public concerning the search for Ron Weasley, son of the Head of Muggle Artifacts on leave of absence since the disappearance. The hope was that the entire wizarding world would join in the search. The next four days search plans of the elder Weasley brother was released.
The buzz in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade was that Potter and Granger would be sentenced to life in Azkaban for studying the Dark Arts and for actions prejudicial to the good order and discipline of the wizarding world. These charges were equal in stature to the ones preferred on the Death Eaters last summer.
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While rumors spread like wildfire that Harry was being held in the dungeon awaiting transfer to Azkaban, Harry and Hermione were in their little hideaway. Dumbledore told them that they must remain out of sight. They could use the invisibility cloak to go to the Weasley quarters until Monday. But otherwise they would be incommunicado for the next two days.
"Can you believe this one? I heard the rumor that we were targeting Slytherins." Harry laughed. "I think this part of the plan is just brilliant. It will be impossible to determine the truth from all the misinformation. The one truth of it all is that we were studying the Dark Arts for precisely that reason."
"Harry, I can't wait to see Ron. This plan still has to work in ways we aren't privy to. It must assume some sort of reaction from the Death Eaters, Wormtail, and/or Voldemort. What they have planned I have no earthly clue?" Hermione said.
Harry handed Hermione her set of headphones as they talked. He put in a new CD and laid back on the sofa leaving room for Hermione to slide in next to him. He put his arm around her waist and closed his eyes. They laid there in the spoon position for hours shifting only to get more comfortable. They were happy for the moment. They knew that the hardest part of the plan for them came Monday and Tuesday. They had no idea what awaited them after that.
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Bill and Charlie made sure that their presence was noticed in every little town along the eastern seaboard. Each town had a magical population that they could exploit for publicity of their search. They wanted to make sure that the search looked as wide-spread as ever.
Tonks and Shacklebolt were working the same areas that Bill and Charlie had checked the first few days after Ron's disappearance to give the same impression that Bill and Charlie were after. Checking the area twice was often a good search and rescue tactic when a specific area where they expected to find the hostage. They relied on this misinformation to give the impression that Hogwarts was not as well protected now that they had control of Potter.
Mad-Eye and Lupin remained at Hogwarts to ensure that there could be no attacks directly on Harry or Hermione. With the majority of the student population leaving on Saturday after the Ball, there was less danger of anyone being targeted there.
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Draco and Ginny were sitting in Luna's room talking about the tragedy that might befall Harry and Hermione. "I can't believe it. What should have been the most exciting news yet became bittersweet in a hurry," said Draco.
Draco and Ginny sat and smiled at one another. Luna had not heard a word. She was staring at Ron's picture humming Weasley is our King. At the chorus, Ginny and Draco chimed in with the harmony. Luna looked at them with a slightly embarrassed look. "I'm sorry. I am just daydreaming about seeing Ron again. I pray he is okay."
"We do too. We now have more hope than before," Ginny said admiring Luna's attitude under such strain. She could be screaming up and down to go get him, but she trusted in Dumbledore and the Weasley family to know what to do.
The afternoon seemed to drag on. Ginny and Draco had sat in one of the large chairs together whispering silly things to each other and smooching it up. At first they thought it would be annoying to Luna, then they noticed that she was in her own little world.
Just as the sun had lowered in the sky, Ginny noticed movement outside Luna's window. She shook Draco and they raced to the window. Through the snow they saw two figures running as fast as they could without coats. One was much taller than the other. It couldn't be Hagrid. The taller one was not tall enough. Just as they reached the first tree, Draco recognized Chad's face as he looked back. They were only 100 feet away.
Draco raced out of Luna's door toward the access to the courtyard. He was too late. He ran as fast as he could toward Dumbledore's chambers when Lupin and Mad-Eye came the other way. "Draco, did you see them?"
"Yes, what happened?" Draco asked in winded voice from running.
"Somehow that little blighter had something sharp enough to cut their bindings. They broke away while Dumbledore was visiting with Minister Fudge and Arthur Weasley. Dumbledore heard the door to below his chambers open and saw them running. He summoned us just moments ago." Lupin said.
"Was this part of the plan? What point would it serve?" Draco asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No, not my plan anyway. We have to hope they freeze to death or didn't hear our plans." Said Lupin unsure for the first time since the plan was put in motion.
"Let's go. We have to try to catch them." Said Mad-Eye. They set off to get their jackets.
Ginny and Luna sat in amazement that those two could slip past the two most vigilant wizards. They wondered what was going on. Did Draco know something they didn't know?