This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Chapter 1 Ron's Big Mistake
"Ribbit! Ribbit!" Trevor (Neville Longbottom's toad) croaked as Argus Filch held him up high with his right hand for Professor Snape to see. His other hand was grasping Ron's forearm so tightly that the fifth year student grimaced in pain but at the same time Ron was trying to suppress his laughter. Between Trevor and Filch's palms was some kind of brown muddy substance that oddly looked more like chocolate, and Vincent Crabbe of Slytherin house was spitting madly as if he was desperately ejecting something foul out of his mouth.
"Now tell me what Mr. Weasley did, Filch," Snape said as some students from the corridor were gathering around them to get a closer look of what's happening. "I have a good feeling that this will be a good start of my day."
"This boy here," Filch replied, jerking his head toward Ron, "did a sick practical joke on Mr. Crabbe. Smeared chocolate on this toad to make it look like a chocolate frog and Mr. Crabbe ate it." Many students laughed and Vincent's face turned pink.
"I did not!" Ron said indignantly.
"100 points from Gryffindor and a month's detention for Mr. Weasley," Snape sneered as he looked at Ron, who had his jaw dropped at the quick verdict. "Does Mr. Crabbe feel nauseous?"
Crabbe, as if on cue, went down on all fours and pretended to throw up.
"50 more points from Gryffindor for attempting to poison a student," added Snape. "Someone bring Mr. Crabbe to the hospital wing quickly! I will report this to Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall and see too it that Mr. Weasley gets suspended - or better yet, expelled!"
Someone from behind Snape gasped loudly, and the professor spun slowly to see who made it. The sight of Harry was a pleasant bonus for him. "Ah, Mr. Potter, you're here for your best friend as expected? Well, better enjoy doing that while it lasts since you won't be able to see him around here in Hogwarts any longer whatever you do - I will see to that."
"Now, now, Severus, do you actually believe biting a toad like Trevor is poisonous to anyone?" Dumbledore said while he approached Snape with Jack Chadron, the Head Boy, beside him. "Otherwise, I should have asked Mr. Longbottom to change his pet a long time ago. I take back the 50 points you removed." Harry breathed a sigh of relief - he was about to point out the same thing to Snape, and knowing him, that would have cost Gryffindor several more points.
"I was quite sure for the moment that this toad's species were poisonous, Headmaster."
"Of course you were, Severus, of course you were." Dumbledore moved closer to Trevor to examine him more closely, but Snape only got a chuckle from him. This irritated the Potions professor very much.
"Professor Dumbledore, sir, I didn't play a practical joke on Crabbe!" pleaded Ron, hoping that his statement would also regain the hundred points he lost. "Honestly! Please take back the points we lost…"
"Ha! A likely story," Filch said. "I caught you red-handed, boy!"
"I only happened to pass by -"
Ron stopped talking as he felt a hand slip in his robe's right pocket.
"Ah, how lucky that you have an advanced Sneakoscope, Mr. Weasley. Made in England. A favorite gadget of Aurors," Snape sneered maliciously. "I don't know how you got hold of this regulated object. Let's see what you've been doing!"
"No! Give that back! My uncle gave that to me…"
Ron went pale as Snape put the Sneakoscope on his palm. This kind of Sneakoscope had a special feature than the one Ron gave Harry in their Second year: it spins very fast when someone is doing something untrustworthy against the owner and projects a pre-recorded moving picture of its surroundings. A few people moved closer around Snape's palm to take a good look at what the gadget had to show, including Dumbledore.
The thing spun loudly and showed Ron melting some real chocolate frogs in a cauldron, and seeing him steal Trevor behind Neville. Then the view abruptly changed where he covered the toad with the melted chocolate. The whole show finished finally with Crabbe spitting.
Dumbledore was tutting loudly. He turned to Ron and with a disappointed look in his face he said, "You were very untruthful, Mr. Weasley, I should have known better of you. Making false witness to the faculty is a serious offense." Ron couldn't look at Dumbledore's eyes as he just stood with his head bowed. "I'll be personally writing a note to your parents soon."
Snape seized the opportunity to suggest, "Suspension from this school, Headmaster. I do remember he was previously issued a warning after he shut Draco Malfoy in the dungeon cupboard overnight…" Many students laughed again.
"We'll see, Severus…"
"That wasn't me, that was…" Ron started as he began to panic but decided not to tell anyone that Fred and George actually did that to save them from trouble. The Weasley twins already had two months worth of detentions and he didn't want to add their miseries - even though he knew Fred and George found detentions fun.
"Wanting to tell more lies, Mr. Weasley?" snarled Snape.
The Head Boy Jack Chadron stepped forward. "But, Headmaster, I believe Mr. Weasley's recent actions are not at all serious," he said very pompously. "Practical jokes don't need such action at all."
Harry and Ron looked at each other in surprise. A Slytherin, defending a Gryffindor?
"Just when did a Head Boy discuss and influence disciplinary actions to a teacher, Mr. Chadron?" Snape spat at Jack. "You are under my house, Head Boy, and you should know better not to contradict your Head of House - me!" If Jack Chadron didn't happen to be in Slytherin, Snape would have removed points from him on the spot.
Dumbledore waved an impatient hand to stop the argument, and replied patiently to Jack Chadron loud enough to let everyone around a few feet to hear. "Yes, I am aware the practical joke itself is not an issue, but I am displeased that Mr. Weasley here chose to lie rather than admit he masterminded the whole thing. I do not tolerate lies in this school, and that's why, regrettably, I have to do my job as Headmaster to discipline students who refuse to be responsible of their actions."
Snape, feeling better again, added, "As I said, Headmaster, suspension is the best action for Mr. Weasley - preferably the rest of the term."
"We shall see, Severus," said Dumbledore with mounting annoyance in his voice, "but it's Professor McGonagall who will decide on how long or what nature of such punishment will be. Severus, give me Mr. Weasley's Sneakoscope and please inform Minerva to see me in my office tonight three quarters of an hour after the end of dinner.
"Jack," he said, turning to Chadron, "I believe as Head Boy you're obliged to witness the meeting." Dumbledore, however, had a slight tone of regret in his voice.
He turned to Ron. "I will call on you tonight in my office after dinner, Ron, to discuss your future. Harry, I think it's best if you also be in my office for him, too."
"I will report to you tonight," Snape said deliciously. He walked away with a nasty smirk on his face.
As soon as the crown thinned, Ron dropped his books, slumped on the cold floor and sat there, staring at the opposite wall. "I don't believe it…Dumbledore sounded he'll…he'll expel me tonight!"
"You shouldn't have lied, Ron!" Harry wailed and he, too, sat down on the cold floor rather hard, shaking his head. "You didn't have to do that…the practical joke wasn't even an issue for Dumbledore like he said!"
"Mum and Dad…" Ron said with a sudden look of horror in his face. "They'll kill me when they'd know about this! I've got to do something!"
"Do what?" Harry said worrying what drastic measures might be going on inside Ron's head. "There's nothing you can do that won't make everything worse than it is right now!" He was getting alarmed at seeing Ron begin to panic.
"Hermione's little hourglass necklace? What do you call that? I gotta undo everything during the last hour…"
"She doesn't have it anymore, Ron - returned it to McGonnagall a year before last - and believe me, I know how it works and you can't undo what's already happened."
"A forgetfullness potion! We could mix up some and lace Dumbledore's goblet…he might forget about the meeting tonight…"
"Forget it, Ron! Even with an Invisibility Cloak on, Dumbledore can catch anyone under it." Ron was beginning to hyperventilate, and Harry was getting more worried about his best friend's sanity. He stood up and held Ron's arm to help him get up. "C'mon, Ron, let's go back to the Common Room so you could relax…"
But Ron was too heavy - and he wasn't even helping to loosen up his weight. Harry panted from all the pulling and decided to sit back down on the floor. "Why did I ever decide to do a thing like that?" Ron groaned.
"Don't blame yourself, Ron," said Harry slowly. "You know I hate Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle as much as you and Hermione do and I'd do anything to get back at them."
"So there you are, both of you," Hermione Granger, with her new Prefect's badge pinned on her robe, interrupted as she walked along the corridor towards them. "I've been hearing about a silly rumor going around Ron getting suspended…"
One look at Harry's face proved to her the rumor was true. He told her everything what happened and when he finished, she was on the floor like him and Ron, her books scattered around her.
"Serves you right…" Hermione started, but hastily added when Ron glared at her "but because of Snape you're getting way too much punishment for a small thing like that. I reckon expulsion is too much - at worse, you'll only get a suspension."
"Mum and Dad will kill me…Mum and Dad will kill me…" Ron repeated.
Harry and Hermione just sat there for a few more minutes thinking a way out for Ron, but they couldn't think of any. They both didn't want Ron to be suspended or else he'll repeat another year. That was bad.
"We'd better pay Hagrid a visit," Hermione suggested. "Maybe he'll think of something for this."
"Yeah, good idea," said Harry. Ron seemed to have thought it was a good idea, too, as he stood up without any need of help from Harry and Hermione.
As they started to walk, Harry saw Jack Chadron accompanied by a Slytherin prefect rounding the corner. The Head Boy stopped to talk to Hermione.
"Hermione, you are to escort Mr. Weasley to the Headmaster's office a half hour after dinner," Jack Chadron said. "He asked me a few moments ago to tell you, Mr. Potter, that he changed his mind and he prefers you not to be inside his office tonight. I'm sorry that was all I could do for you back there, Mr. Weasley." Without waiting for an answer Jack Chadron and the Slytherin prefect walked away and out of sight.
"Dumbledore changed his mind pretty fast," Harry thought out loud. "I wanted to go with Ron inside his office tonight and hear everything."
"We can wait outside his office, Harry," said Hermione. "We could ask Professor McGonagall what they talked about after the meeting. She'll be around since she's the Gryffindor Head of House."
They walked towards Hagrid's Hut through the cold autumn air, forgetting about lunch. The time to reach Hagrid's door took longer than usual because Ron was walking very limply that Harry and Hermione had to guide him where they were heading. At last they reached the Hut and they heard Fang's excited barks.
"Oh, I forgot, it's lunchtime," said Hermione, as she knocked on the door. "Hagrid could be in the Great Hall right now…" but they were happy too see him answer the door and get back inside to set up food on his table.
"Com'in, how'd ye know I was gowern' to invite ye fer lunch?" Hagrid cheerfully said with a wide smile under his bushy black beard.
"Uh, what's the occasion, Hagrid?" asked Harry.
"Blimey, it's me birthday, remember?" Hagrid replied, but he didn't feel bad at all they forgot about his birthday.
Hermione slapped a palm on her forehead. "Oh, how could've we forgotten?" Happy Birthday, Hagrid!" she said happily.
"Yeah, sorry about that, Hagrid, Happy Birthday!" said Harry.
"Nah, don' worry about it…"
"Happy Birthday," Ron said weakly.
"Oh, I heard about everything, Ron, c'mere, let's talk about it over lunch." Hagrid said with concern drawn on his face.
"Does news really fly this fast around Hogwarts, Hagrid?" said Ron disbelievingly.
"Unfortunately, yeah," said Hagrid, shrugging. "I don't even know how people here manage ter do that around here te tell yeh the truth…"
He saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione examining closely the food on top of his table with funny looks on their faces. Getting the idea, Hagrid said "Er, don' worry about the food - I didn' cook 'em. Conjured straight from the kitchens - Dumbledore does this everytime during my birthday so I don' have te go ter the Great Hall and he knew I'd have special guests this year… Great man, Dumbledore."
So Harry, Ron, and Hermione, feeling relieved, happily sat down around the table and placed the humongous table napkins on their lap and got ready for chow. The food was delicious - roast beef, buttered mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, deep fried chicken and lots of sweets - better than what the rest of the school could be eating in the Great Hall right now. Even Ron had completely forgotten about his problem at school when they all merrily ate lunch and laughed as they talked about good times. Hagrid sang an out-of-tune song while he swung his tankard left and right that made the kids sing along with him. Even Fang joined in with the howling. It was simply one of the happiest moments of their life together.
As they were finishing their lunch and their cheerfulness beginning to subside, Hagrid read the kids' faces and knew what they were worrying about. "I can' really dispute the proof on what yeh did to that fat idiot Crabbe, Ron," Hagrid said slowly. "He deserved that more than anything else aside from Malfoy. It's a little thing, yeah, but ye should've have just admitted it - Dumbledore doesn't like being lied ter, yeh gotta understand that."
Ron just nodded, finally accepting his mistake. "I just don't want to get back another year if ever I get suspended, Hagrid. I can't imagine classes without Harry or Hermione."
Harry and Hermione looked at each other sadly.
"Yeah, that is if yeh get suspended long enough," said Hagrid. "I reckon that's too much of a punishment, and Dumbledore's a just man. He cudern't do that to yeh, I know it."
"That's what I'm hoping, too," said Harry. "I think he was just putting up a show to shut Snape up."
"Even the Slytherin Head Boy, Chadron, vouched for me," said Ron.
"He did?" Hagrid said. "Strange for a Slytherin ter do that…"
"He's actually the only one of the people in that club who got along well with students from other houses," Harry added. "I guess it's because his parents were said to be murdered by Voldermort…" Almost everybody around him flinched when they heard the name. "Sorry, slipped my mind…"
Hagrid turned to Hermione. "You're a prefect, Hermione an' you probably meet him regularly. What do you know about him?"
"He seems to be an okay guy, and I admire him," she replied, much to the others' surprise. "I came to know him up close on our first prefects' meeting - one of his mission statements is to achieve harmony between the four houses. He's also very kind to Muggle-borns like Dean and I, much to Malfoy's disappointment. I think Dumbledore likes him that's why he got the Head Boy position with a landslide vote."
Hagrid, however, snorted and was not convinced. "I've known the Slytherin's all me life. Yeh cudern't trust any of them, including that Chadron guy, that's fer sure. They've all been trouble since Salazar's time, Slytherins. And remember how young You-Know-Who made sure I was expelled, an' young Snape giving trouble to yer dad like Malfoy is doing to you now, Harry." Harry and Ron nodded and instantly got Hagrid's point. "You three had been in this school for more than four years, and you know how the Slytherins are, righ'?"
"But Chadron could turn out to be uniquely different," argued Hermione calmly. "He's cool. I'm beginning to like him."
"Yeah, you like him 'cause he's handsome…" Ron said irritably. "I can't believe you're starting to say good things about the enemy."
Hermione gave him a sharp look. "I like him because he's a model student leader."
"Yeah, but remember Tom Riddle was once a model student leader, but look at how terrible he's become," said Hagrid looking at them one by one, Hermione the longest. " I got ter ask yeh not to trust him a hundred percent, you three."
Harry felt Hermione didn't agree with Hagrid, but she wisely avoided an argument by just nodding to his advice. Both she and Hagrid had a point, Harry thought, but he was leaning heavily towards Hagrid's than with Hermione's.
"Don't worry about what's comin', Ron," Hagrid said to break the ice. "If ever yeh get expelled, me hut's big enough for an assistant. Oh, sorry, Ron, bad joke. Bad joke!" he quickly added when he saw Ron begin to faint.
After the three greeted Hagrid a Happy Birthday for the last time and thanked him for the superb lunch, Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked back towards the castle for afternoon classes.
"What's the point of me attending classes this afternoon?" said Ron, feeling resigned to his inevitable suspension. "You two just go ahead…I'll be in the common room to get some sleep…"
Harry and Hermione tried to convince him not to worry, but after failing to change his mind, they gave up and went ahead to their classes while Ron made good on his idea and slumped on his bed wanting to just doze off to sleep forever, hoping everything will be all right after he wakes up. He could never foresee that what will happen tonight will only be the start of his problems far worse than the one he has now, and how this will affect the lives of his best friends.
-o0o-
Away from the hustle and bustle of the Hogwarts corridors, Jack Chadron entered the Head Boy's personal quarters. A large room hidden in a secret location, the Head Boy's quarters features more comforts than the ordinary Hogwarts students have. For one thing, it has its own fireplace just for the Head Boy, and Jack thought this was the most important luxury around for an operative secretly serving the Dark Lord through Lucius Malfoy.
He had sent an express owl earlier today setting up an urgent meeting with Mr. Malfoy near the fireplace. For Muggles, fireplaces are simply for heating, but for the Wizard world it has more to it than what meets the eye. Checking his watch, Jack knew it was just seconds away until he'll meet his benefactor again.
Just as planned, a ghostly head appeared above the flames that looked much like Mr. Malfoy's. "This better be important," Lucius said. "I told you only to use this kind of communication only when it's most justified. I don't want you to blow your cover."
"Good afternoon, sir," Jack said, ignoring Lucius' opening statement. "Don't worry, I'm the only one who could enter my room, except that old fart, Dumbledore, and he's in his office right now."
"What's so important that we need to talk, and make it quick. Narcissa will be around soon."
"I could pull off everything you asked me tonight," Jack said proudly.
"So soon? Are you sure? Not being too hasty, are you, Black Jack?" asked Lucius testily. "Haste makes waste."
"The opportunity has come to us in a form that we may have never dreamed of," he replied in a confident manner. He told Lucius about what happened in the corridor earlier. "I held myself back and secretly listened to a conversation between Ron Weasley and Harry Potter - the Weasley boy was positively horrified by the prospect of his parents knowing about this incident," Jack continued. "Heard him talk about using some kind of a object to undo something, and making a forgetfulness potion for Dumbledore to make him forget about sending an owl to his parents. So, you see, we have found a motive for murder, and the Ministry will get the evidence that is enough to convict the poor fellow. That will make our work easier."
"Brilliant," said Lucius with noticeable excitement in his voice. "The Dark Lord will be very pleased upon hearing the news of Dumbledore's death. You will wait and hold your cover until a Death Eater party will take over the school to prepare for the Dark Lord's triumphant return."
"I understand," Jack Chadron said, smirking. "I'll report to you soon."
Just then, Lucius' head disappeared with a pop. Jack Chadron stood up and paced the floor, going through his plan for tonight again inside his head. He actually wished he still had more time to refine his mission plan, but everything seemed to be going his way and opportunity was too good to pass up.
Yes, tonight was the moment of truth, he thought. He can't possibly back down now as he has made the initial preparations now. Preventing Harry Potter from being present in the meeting was one - he didn't want more people inside in Dumbledore's office than what is necessary for his purpose. But would Dumbledore react why Harry isn't around, as he wanted to? Would that complicate things? There were so many things to think about that could spoil the plan, but he thought this was better than having more than two to deal with because he would have to kill Harry Potter, too, and that would take away the Dark Lord's chance to kill the "Boy Who Lived" himself. No, you did the right thing Jack, he told himself, and McGonagall will be the one to "witness" Ron Weasley kill Dumbledore. He will just have to trust his training to handle the unexpected.
After he allowed himself to relax, Jack Chadron thought about the aftermath of the impending death of Dumbledore. He daydreamed about welcoming the triumphant Dark Lord in front of the Hogwarts gates, a proud Lucius beside him. Jack Chadron, the Head Boy who gave back Hogwarts to the heir of Slytherin. He will be honored among the ranks of Voldemort's inner circle, a full-fledged Death Eater even before graduating. Yes, the power! He wanted power more than everything else, and it will come to him pretty sooner than he expected. Just kill Dumbledore first and take care of the rest, he told himself over and over again.