Disclaimer: I don't own HP. JKR does. Some details are taken from the fanfiction HP and the Psychic Serpent by Barb, that can be found on fanfiction.net.
A/N: Sorry for the late update, but I changed my Internet connection so it needed to be activated and in this weekend I was unable to connect. Hope you'll like this one, and please review. As usual, thanks to my wonderful beta, Cheryl. She did a great job on this one, as always.
Chapter Six
"Ron's secret"
Dumbledore didn't want them to run off half-cocked. He wanted them properly trained in deflecting and withstanding the Unforgivables. In particular, the Cruciatus curse and he brought in Mad-eye Moody to commence training immediately.
After a week of hard training, under Mad Eye's strict training methods, Harry and Draco were ready to fight but Ron was struggling but not too far behind.
Harry was growing impatient he had no intention of waiting any longer to start the rescue mission. "I'm going to Dumbledore, we are ready we need to get moving before its too late for Hermione." stated Harry one morning as they made their way to the Headmaster's office, "and if he still says no, I say we go anyway."
Draco easily agreed, and then both he and Harry turned to Ron.
Ron was shaking. "I can't come with you," he whispered.
"What?" Harry asked in confusion before his anger took over, "What is wrong with you? You'd just leave Hermione in the hands of Voldemort?" Both Ron and Draco winced at hearing Voldemort's name but Harry merely brushed them off and continued, "Oh grow up, both of you! Have you gone mad?"
"Don't say His name Harry." Ron shot back, "We can't go, we can't take on You-Know-Who by ourselves. I mean, he's already killed so many witches and wizards who challenged him…your parents, remember?"
Ron's cowardice turned Harry stomach and bringing up his parents that was a low blow. "We have faced him Ron, many times…together. We have to do this…for Hermione." Harry spat out.
"That's were you are wrong Harry. YOU faced You-Know-Who, I'm just the sidekick remember. I won't go. We are not ready. My decision is final." Ron stated and then turning to Draco he said, "and I suggest you do the same."
"When I want your advice Weasel I'll ask for it," Draco responded, "I don't believe you. This is YOUR girlfriend we are trying to rescue or have you forgotten?"
"Ron…is it possible that you are so afraid that you won't even take a risk to save your own girlfriend?" shouted Harry, "Everything we are training for, preparing for…its for her Ron, your girlfriend. Do it for Hermione. If you love her as much as you say you do, you wouldn't even question this?" Harry was seething as he thought, `What the hell is wrong with him? `
"I may have helped you find out where she is being held, but I won't go with you. You just don't get it, wizards who go up against You-Know-Who…they die Harry. Only you have managed to survive his attacks. I don't want to die…" Ron stated half-heartedly his voice full of shame.
"So you'd rather sacrifice Granger to spare your own life?" Draco spat out his voice dripping with disgust, "You don't deserve her Weasel; even I'm willing to do what it takes to save the Mu-Hermione!"
"Why? Are you in love with her too?" Ron spat back.
No one spoke.
They arrived at the gargoyle and Harry muttered the password, "Chocolate Frog."
The gargoyle leapt to the side and Harry made his way to Dumbledore's inner office leaving Draco and Ron glaring at each other.
"Hello Harry, what news do you have for me?"
"Well, I assumed Professor Moody told you that we are ready."
"You and Draco may be ready, but Ron surely is not."
"Ron doesn't matter anymore, he refuses to fight. Draco and I, we are ready, willing and able."
"Are you sure Harry? Are you confident enough in your training to put Mr. Malfoy at risk?" Dumbledore asked with a sigh then continued, "Harry, you must wait until we can fully assemble the Order and organize a team. I will not let you risk Mr. Malfoy nor yourself needlessly."
"Fine then, I will go alone." Harry responded growing tired of discussing this to death. Hermione was being held by the foulest evil of all time and time was exactly what Hermione was running out of and fast.
"Harry, do you think you can handle say two, three Death Eaters and Tom all alone?" Dumbledore taunted.
"Yes sir," Harry replied, standing up, "I can and I will."
"Harry, I need you to understand that despite your history you are still very mortal, if Tom senses or spots any weakness in you, any at all, he will use that to his advantage including harming Miss Granger." Dumbledore explained acting very much like a concerned grandfather. Dumbledore knew Harry was ready to face Tom; it was he that wasn't quite ready to let Harry do so.
Dejected Harry exited the office without another word as far as he was concerned the conversation was over. Ron and Draco were still waiting for him at the entrance. "Draco," Harry started to explain, "Dumbledore doesn't want us to go without an escort from the Order. He says we need to wait a few more days."
"Well then that's that, we go without them," Draco stated.
"Alright Draco, we'll go, but first I want…" Harry said turning to Ron, "to know the truth Ron. I may not be an expert but it sure doesn't take a skilled Legilmens to know that you are hiding something. Spill it. Now."
Ron hung his head, he just couldn't look his best friend or his enemy for that matter in the eye, and then he began, "Okay Harry. You are not going to like what I'm about to tell you, but I'll tell you anyway, I owe you that at least…" he took in a deep breath and continued, "You remember when Hermione went to the Yule Ball, back in fourth year, with Viktor Krum? You remember my reaction? I was jealous, from that moment when we argued in the Common Room, I knew I wanted to be with her. I wasn't sure if she felt the same way, so I held back my feelings until I could figure things out." he closed his eyes at the memory, "Ginny convinced me to buy Hermione that perfume last Christmas, you know, to show her that I fancied her and well…I didn't exactly get the reaction I was hoping for…"
"And this is important because…?" Draco interrupted.
"Sod off, Malfoy!!" Ron shouted.
"Go on Ron," Harry said, the iciness in his voice chilling the air.
"I kind of figured she was serious about Krum what with her owling him in and all. But as we were leaving King's Cross at the beginning of Summer Hols last year, I said something like `Have fun with Krum over the Hols…' she got quite stroppy and said `Ron, Viktor and I are just friends. I. am. not. dating. anyone. Got that?'" said Ron doing a near perfect imitation of Hermione which irritated both Harry and Draco.
"She didn't come out and say that she fancied me exactly but it gave me hope. From that point all I did was think about the possibility of being with her, I decided that on the train to Hogwarts I was going to tell how I felt, I had to be brave…" he continued, "Then one day, after we got back from going to Harry's…well she didn't lead me on or anything but after that I thought I had a pretty good shot at getting her to go out with me. Ummm, yeah, then one day, I went with Mum to Diagon Alley to help her with shopping. She left me at Quality Quidditch while she went to Madame Malkins, I was just staring in the front window at all the latest brooms when this wizard walked up to me, stuck his wand in my side and forced me around the corner of the shop so no one could see us. He was a Death Eater." Ron stopped for dramatic effect and was disappointed that he didn't get the anticipated reaction. Harry continued to glare and Draco was giving he a `yeah so what, welcome to my life' kind of look.
"Keep going Ron," Harry said with the same iciness as before.
Ron shook a little and then continued with his confession, "He-he said that You-Know-Who had sent him to `help' me win Hermione's heart. I tried to argue that I didn't need His help and to let me go…then he pointed his wand directly at my forehead and said, `I don't think you understand Blood-Traitor, you don't have a choice, join us or your Mudblood will die.'"
"Well, seeing that you are standing here…tell me Weasel how did feel when you took the mark?" Draco asked. He all at once felt both sympathy and rage for Ron. Draco too had the mark, he, however, never had the choice; he had been branded since birth.
"You took the Dark Mark?" Harry asked stunned, "You better not be playing with us."
"Harry, I had no choice? Let them kill her? I accepted the Mark…I thought I was saving her!" Ron shouted.
"I didn't think you had it in you Weasel." Draco stated.
"Ron. Is there more?" Harry asked, trying to hold his anger in check. He thought, `I probably would have done the same thing…'
"He then aparated me to a room, I have no idea where. There was a slab in the middle of room, the Death Eater spoke to someone in the corner of the room, I couldn't see, the only light was cast directly over the slab. The Death Eater held up my arm and the person in the corner cast a spell…moments later the Dark Mark appeared on my forearm…" Ron explained, "The Death Eater then handed me a bottle and instructed me to give it to Hermione to drink and also that we had to be alone when she drank it. I tried to refuse it, but then the person in the corner cast the Crucio on me. I knew then that it was You-Know-Who. He said, `How dare you refuse my gift, Blood-Traitor! You will give the Mudblood the potion or I will make sure your Mudblood-Loving Father does not survive another visit from my pet…'" He shuddered again at the memory as he completed the confession his voice full of conflict and anguish, "So on the train to Hogwarts, I slipped the potion in her water bottle when she wasn't looking and then when you left the compartment I encouraged her to drink. The potion took effect immediately, she was on me snogging me. I was sick with guilt but…I had no choice, you have to believe me, now do you understand why I can't go with you?"
"I understand Ron, I do. I probably would have agreed and done the same thing. Only I never would have deceived Hermione. I would have told her about the potion instead of tricking her. You know she would have helped you. Damn you Ron! Look where this has got us! If any thing happens to her…because of you…I don't even know you anymore. Who are you? What have you done with Ronald Weasley, my best mate? You make me sick." Harry shouted as he paced the room.
"So Weasel show me your Mark." Draco asked.
Ron pulled up his sleeve revealing the Mark and Draco did the same revealing his own Mark, "Does it burn?"
"Sometimes," Ron answered.
"So Weasel, who do you serve?" Draco questioned, "The Dark Lord? Did you help Krum kidnap Granger? Are you afraid?"
"No, I didn't help him, Malfoy. But you're right I am afraid. I can't go with Harry, because if I do, You-Know-Who will kill her, and my family and…me." Ron replied as he put his head in his hands. He knew he had screwed over Harry, Hermione, his family…maybe he should go and face You-Know-Who if he was lucky only he'd get killed. Avada Kadavra was sounding pretty good at the minute.
"You are a coward Weasel!" Draco exclaimed, "You are even more pathetic than I thought poss."
Harry had been quietly watching the exchange spoke up, "Shut it Draco. Ron…if Voldemort ordered you to kill me…say in my bed while I was asleep. Could you do it? Would you do it?" Harry asked. He was watching Ron's demeanour very carefully while he waited for his reply.
"Uhhh…well…Harry…" Ron stammered as he struggled with his answer, "I would…I think…I don't think…kill…you…force…"
Watching Ron struggle with his answer Harry finally understood what was going on. "Stupefy!" Harry shouted and Ron fell to the floor unconscious. "Come on, Draco, we have to go see Dumbledore, now!" Harry ordered. Ron really truly wasn't himself; he was constantly battling the curse that had been cast on him most likely back in September. Harry saw it glimpses of the real Ron, he was in there somewhere fighting off the curse…Ron was under Imperius.
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