More than Meets the Eye
Chapter 2 Promises
Ron hurried into the halls of St. Mungo's with the teary eyed Hermione close behind. "Hold it right there!" An Auror stepped in their way. "This is a highly secure area, authorized personnel only," he said to the couple.
"Commander Ronald Weasley, Auror Command second class," Ron flashed a badge from his robes, "Now would you get out of the way or do you want a demotion?"
"R-Right away, Commander Weasley," the Auror stammered as he got out of their way.
"Good man, now where's Harry Potter?" Ron asked noting the tightness of his wife's grip. He'd be in pain if he wasn't as upset and scared as she was.
"Down the hall, in red level threat secure room," the Auror said pointing down the hall.
"Red Level?" Hermione blanched.
"What the hell is he doing in there?" Ron narrowed his eyes.
"He did murder his own family, sir," the Auror replied.
"Guilty until proven innocent?" Ron asked, "I want you to report to my office Monday for your demotion, now get the hell out of our way," He said storming past him into down the hall.
They finally reached the secure room and Ron stopped and identified himself to the guard Aurors. Once he was cleared he turned to Hermione, "You wait out here I'll go in."
"What? No, that's my best friend in there; with all this rubbish he needs us both right now!" Hermione argued.
"Merlin's Sake, for once don't argue!" Ron snapped, "And what if he did do it?" He asked and Hermione looked like she was about to explode. "I don't think he did it either but they wouldn't arrest him if it wasn't a possibility. I know him as well as you do, if it … if it isn't pretty I don't want you seeing it. I want you to remember the Harry that always walked with you around the lake and listened to you complain about my stupidity, instead of … instead of what it could be. OK?"
"But …" Hermione started to argue, but Ron held up his hand.
"Hermione, for the sake of our friendship, what the three of us have, just let me do this alone." He asked again, this time she nodded in submission.
Ron sighed, he really didn't want to tell Hermione the real reason he was going in alone …
---
16 years earlier …
"She's beautiful …" Hermione cooed as Ginny passed the sleeping child to her bushy haired friend.
"So how does it feel to be a dad?" Ron asked as he watched his wife coddle her niece.
"Exactly how you said it would feel, only more intense …" Harry said glancing to the two women all but harassing his darling little Lily. Even though one was her mother and the other her aunt/godmother, he was already feeling the protective daddy urges. "Ron, can I talk to you … privately for a second?"
"Sure, mate," Ron said as Harry lead him quietly outside Ginny's hospital room. "What's up?" Ron asked as the door closed.
"Did you know in his seventh year, Riddle got a girl pregnant?" Harry said looking out the window to see St. Mungo's courtyard.
"He did?" Ron asked vaguely interested. "What happened to the poor girl and the spawn?"
"He murdered the girl before she could deliver the baby, she was a Muggle-born witch, a close friend of his, his best friend since first year," Harry said in a tone that made Ron shiver and very uncomfortable. "He made sure that it looked like an accident… even Dumbledore never suspected a thing …"
"If no one suspects how do you know?" Ron asked as his cheeks paled.
"I remember it. I think … even though I don't have part of his soul in me anymore … Ron his memories won't die, they're still all here …" Harry said pointing to his scar. "My scar hasn't hurt since I well … died, and the memories aren't painful or intense like they were but … the fact I still have something of him in me is not very comforting …"
"No shit." Ron muttered with a shake of the head.
"Ron, it may never happen but … I want to be prepared for the worse," Harry said gripping the hand rail along the wall. "I don't want to risk him coming back…"
"Harry, he's dead, he's not coming back, you stopped him remember, we all saw it." Ron said placing a hand on his best friend's shoulder.
"Ron, you're the first real friend I ever had." Harry said, looking up at the sunset through the window. "You're a brother to me in every way but blood."
"Ok … you're really starting to freak me out here with this warm and fuzzy stuff …" Ron said trying to lighten the mood.
"Ron, you're the only one I trust to do it," Harry said turning to look his best friend dead in the eye. "If he comes back through me … if I even remotely seem to be following in his footsteps … brother ... I want you to kill him."
"But how can I do that without …" he started but when he saw Harry's eyes darken he jumped back. "HAVE YOU GONE OWLSHIT MENTAL?!"
"Have we been anything but since first year?" Harry asked with a small laugh.
"Yeah there's me and you saving the girl from a mountain troll mental, but this is a whole new classification," Ron shook his head. "Harry, you're daughter was just born! And all you can think about is plotting your own death at my hands of all people?"
"It's all I've been able to think about since Riddle died, Ron …" Harry shook his head. "My worst fear is he some how from beyond the dead use me to hurt you, or Hermione, or Ginny and now Lily … that's why I'm asking you …" Harry said turning back to face his friend. "I'm begging you … don't let him make me hurt them…"
---
Present day …
"Damn you and your promises Potter …" Ron grumbled as he slowly opened the door to the cell-like room. "And damn you Hermione for making me watch that damned Old Yellow-er movie with you …"
Ron glanced around the room, the walls were padded and reinforced, probably warded as well, and in the center or the room, with bright lights shinning down on him, blinding him, sat probably the strongest person Ron Weasley had ever known. "Harry?" Ron asked the trembling shaking figure, restrained in both a Muggle straight jacket as well as magically restrained to the chair in the center of the room. "Harry, are you with me?"
The man in the center of the room made no response, just continued to stare at his lap. Ron gulped and lifted his wand. "Be safe, so we all won't be sorry …" Ron remembered Harry's words. Ron closed his eyes and imagined the Dark Lord in Harry's place. "Av… Avad… Av…" Ron tried to say, but ended up throwing his wand to the ground. "Goddamn it, I can't do it…why couldn't you have made Draco promise that Harry, he'd probably enjoy it!"
"Ron?" Harry finally spoke in a very small voice, not unlike the voice of the boy Ron met so many years ago on the Hogwarts Express.
"Harry?" Ron said looking up, into Harry's green eyes, and saw the pain and loss of a man whose soul had been ripped apart. "Great Merlin, Harry, what happened tonight?"
"He killed them … he wanted me to suffer … he wanted to torture me… Why couldn't he have just cast his Crucio on me till I was driven insane?" Harry asked in a shaky voice as tears ran down his cheeks. "Albus … James … they never did anything to him … Hadn't he done enough to Ginny in her first year at Hogwarts? Why couldn't he stay dead, Ron? Why did he have to come back?"
"But … Harry are you … the Hercruxes were all destroyed …" Ron shook his head. "Help me understand Harry … if He did it, how did he come back … are you sure you …"
"Ron … Ginny was the one who had to punish the boys and Lily … I couldn't even bring it to myself to properly discipline them … you know this …" Harry whispered in a choked voice, "The Aurors insisted I did it … but it wasn't me … it was him …"
"He's not the same … different … he's not a wizard anymore … he's not human … he's something else … metal … robotic … gigantic … bigger then Hagrid …" Harry shook his head, his eyes near void. "He killed them all while another giant … Starscream he called him … made me watch … made me watch them die …"
"And …" Harry swallowed hard, "Starscream called him by another name … not Voldemort … he called him … Lord Megatron …" Harry began to tremble with sobs. "Ginny … Albus … James …" He whimpered before looking up at his best friend. "Am I just not destined to have any happiness?"
Ron shook his head and cast a sleeping charm on the wild eyed wizard before him. He turned and walked out of the room where Hermione was waiting expectantly.
"Ron …" Hermione started but was shocked when her husband pulled her to him in a bone crushing hug.
"Let's … let's go home … you don't need to see him like this … I wish I didn't …" Ron whispered, leading her down the hall.
"But …" Hermione tried to argue, but stopped at seeing the look in Ron's eyes. She'd seen it there once before, when Ron saw Hagrid carry Harry's body into the Great Hall before the final battle.
"He's not Harry anymore … I … I don't know if he did it or not … but … he was talking nonsense …wild nonsense …" Ron trembled slightly as they walked out of the hospital. "I know I lost my nephews and sister … but a brother too … it's too much Hermione …"
"What are we going to do about Lily?" Hermione asked as they approached their car on the sidewalk.
"She's safe at Hogwarts for the night … we'll go and talk to her first thing in the morning …but for the time being it's probably best she stays there," Ron said climbing into their car. "Safest place for her if Harry wasn't the real killer …" he said not noticing the black and white police car parked behind their car start up and pull away.
"We have to protect her, Ron," Hermione said with resolve. "It's what Harry would do for Hugo and Rose…"
---
"SAM!" Mikaela cried out as she carried the five year old boy in her arms as she ran behind her husband.
"Keep running Mikaela," Sam called to her as they tried to hide in a wooded area.
"What happened to Bumblebee?" she asked as she caught up to him.
"I don't know … I hope he's ok but I'm more concerned about Starscream right this minute …"
'Hang on, Sam, we're only a few miles away,' A booming voice spoke through the radio Sam was carrying in his backpack.
"Hurry, Optimus …" Sam said before noticing a hollowed out tree, "Daniel, come here," He said pulling the child from his mother's arms.
"Listen to me ok, your mother and I love you very much … and no matter what happens we'll always be with you … and always remember …" Sam said kissing the boy's forehead. "No sacrifice … no victory …" he said as he placed the boy in the hollowed out tree, then putting the backpack in the boy's arms.
"Daddy … Mommy… I'm scared …" Daniel whimpered, looking up into his mother's eyes.
"It's ok to be scared … but Optimus and your uncles will never let anything happen to you … they'll always be there to protect you … and we'll always love you …" Mikaela said as tears formed in her eyes.
"COME OUT AND PLAY LITTLE WORMS!!" the demonic voice of Starscream yelled out as F-22 jet made another pass over the forest. "IT'S TIME TO PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO MEGATRON!!"
"Let's go, Sam …" Mikaela said standing to her feet.
"Right, Till All Are One …" He said taking her hand, "I love you, Mikaela Witwicky…"
"I love you too, Sam," She said as they ran from the forested area, leading the jet away from the horrified boy. Daniel closed his eyes as he heard Starscream's maniacal laughter followed by explosions.
Daniel kept his eyes closed for what felt like a light time till he heard the sound of gigantic footsteps.
"Daniel? Are you functional, child?" a booming voice spoke, and Daniel looked up to see a familiar face.
"Uncle Bee, Mommy, and Daddy ok?" he asked as his 'Uncle' lifted him in his giant hand.
"Bumblebee is fine, though slightly damaged …"he said turning as the medic Ratchet approached.
"Sam, Mikaela?" he asked, but Ratchet shook his head.
"There was nothing I could do, Prime …" Ratchet shook his head.
"his 'Uncle's blue optics turned to the confused child in his hand. "It … will be ok, Daniel … I … I am so sorry …"
"Momma?" Daniel shook his head. "I want my Momma … I want my daddy … please …"
"Please!" Daniel gasped as he sat up in bed in his Hogwarts dorm room, breathing heavily.
"Good morning, Beautiful, How was your night? Mine was wonderful there by your side…" the red and gold radio on his night table played loudly.
"Turn the volume down, Rewind …" Daniel rolled over, covering his head with the pillow.
The radio responded with an even louder song. "…You ain't much fun since I quit drinkin!"
"Fine, fine," Daniel said kicking his legs over the side of the bed and sitting up. "Merry Christmas to you too…"
"Oh Lily, why'd you have to cut your hair, Oh Lily, I loved us just the way we were, Princess of the field and daughter of the moon, Oh Lily," The radio blared before a pillow knocked it off the table.
Daniel shook his head and dressed himself before climbing down the stairs to the commons room. "Happy Christmas, Danny," Lily said from her seat next to the fire.
"Merry Christmas," Daniel replied as he noticed her green eyes weren't as happy and bright as they normally were. "Something wrong?"
"Just my dad didn't send me anything this year for some reason," Lily said looking at the empty Christmas tree. "He always sent me something … sure even when he was mad at me or me him …"
"If you're worried why don't you write or floe?" Daniel asked, but looked confused when she gave him a very peculiar look. "What?" He watched suspiciously as she stood up and walked toward him. He was even more surprised when she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly on the lips.
He stared dumb founded when she pulled back and looked up at the mistletoe dangling over his head. "Can't break tradition can we?" Lily winked, before going toward the fireplace to try to call home. Once her back was turned the American boy looked to the sky and mouthed the words 'thank you'.
Lily was about to try to contact when Fat Lady opened for the Headmistress Minerva McGonagall. "Lily my dear?" She asked in a softer tone then either student had ever heard.
"Headmistress?" Lily asked, before noticing her red-eyed Aunt and Uncle beside her. "Uncle Ron, Aunt Hermione? What's going on?"
"Sweetheart … it's about your dad mum and brothers …" Hermione started before a small beetle fluttered off Ron's robes, and transformed beside them.
"Ms. Potter!" Rita Skeeter piped up before Ron, Hermione or McGonagall could stop her. "Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet, A few questions please! What's your reaction to your father's fall to insanity and murder of your mother and brothers?" She asked deadpan, causing Lily to lose all color to her features.
"Skeeter! No!" Hermione bellowed, as the reporter continued to corner the young witch.
"W-What?" Lily whimpered staring at the reporter.
"Why your mother and brothers were murdered just this past evening my dearest," Rita said as her quick quill made notes. "Did your father ever threaten or hurt you in anyway?" she asked as Lily began to shake her head and cry from shock.
"Hey, leave her alone!" Daniel said before any of the adults could stop Rita. "Do you have heart? You can't just come in here and shoot your mouth off like that, you bitch!"
"Ms. Potter, one last question, do you have any idea where your father's delusions of giant robots like this Megatron or Starscream came from?" she asked, causing Daniel to come to a full stop.
"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Hermione asked, finally coming out of her stupor to hex the insect turned reporter turned insect into the wall. "You will leave this school and my niece alone unless you want to be put back in that jar this time for good!" Hermione threatened as she threw Rita's notes into the fire place.
Rita whimpered and transformed back into her bug form and flittered away. "Women like her gives witches a bad name," Hermione growled, before turning to the shell shocked redhead. "Lily?"
"Is it … mum … Al … James …" Lily shook her head, tears forming. "Dad … daddy wouldn't do that …"
"We know, someone's set him up," Ron said, hoping he'd believe it if he said it.
"But … Mum … Mum … no … I …" Lily said as tears threatened her eyes. She couldn't take it any longer and turned and fled to her dormitory.
"Lily!" Danny called after her, but Hermione stopped him.
"I'll talk to her, young man," Hermione said, with a sad smile. "Besides, guys can't go up there, remember?" she said, before following the girl's trail.
"Megatron … Starscream?" Daniel whispered before calmly going to his own room, closing and locking the door behind him.
"Rewind, where are you?" he asked as a small gold head peaked around the edge of the bed before the radio literally flew from hiding and landed on the bed. "Call the others… it's the Decepticons … They've … they've hurt a friend of mine's family … And there's mention of Megatron and … Starscream."
"Roger Wilco!" a high pitched voice spoke from the radio. "Transmitting Distress call …" he said before the radio played another song. "Somebody save me! Let your warm hands break right through …"
---
Northern California, USA
A massive figure stood before two graves. Samuel and Mikaela Witwicky. Reading those names carved in stone always brought pain to the old warrior's consciousness. "Jazz, Sam, Mikaela … I've failed too many… no more…" the figure said before turning and walking toward the road, causing the ground to tremble with each of his giant steps. With the sound of singing steel, a metallic face plate shot across his lower face, as he looked up toward the sky. "Optimus Prime to Bumblebee, Hound, Ratchet, Ironhide, Blaster, Cliffjumper, and Jetfire: Distress call by Daniel Witwicky and Rewind has been received and acknowledged. We cannot fail again… I will not fail again … Set a course for Northern England to Rewind's coordinates. Autobots, Transform and roll out!"