Chapter 14
The Hero
Ron's only thought as he rushed out of Ginny's room and Apparated to the outside of Harry's apartment complex was to get to Hermione. He ran inside the swinging doors and knocked a couple out of line for the elevator. He jammed the buttons furiously, cursing the slowly-moving elevator. He began to mentally count each floor as it slowly made its way up, his heart beating faster with each number.
And then…he was there. He dashed out of the elevator and ran to Hermione's door. He beat on it.
No answer.
He ran to Harry's door, and beat on it as well.
No answer.
Breathing quickly now, he spun around his eyes darting up and down the long hall.
No one was there.
He was about to Apparate to the Ministry when a ping came from the elevator. He watched it eagerly, thinking it was Hermione, but he was discouraged when Andy and Oliver stepped out.
"Hi Ron," Andy said cheerily, "Are you Harry's replacement?"
Ron looked at her, not understanding.
Oliver nudged Andy.
"He might not know, Andy."
Andy looked regretful.
"Sorry, Ron, um…what's up?"
"Where's Hermione?" He blurted.
Andy looked confused.
"Isn't she here? She said she was spending all morning packing up her boxes so that all we would have to do would be move them to Harry's apartment."
Oliver coughed loudly, and Andy covered her mouth.
"Darn it! I need some kind of edit button," she said regretfully.
Ron shook his head.
"Forget it, look…Hermione's not here, but we have to find her. I think someone came and…and…took her."
Oliver looked worried.
"Who would take her, Ron?" he asked.
"Malfoy." Ron explained, running his hand through his hair, "He's got her, I just know it."
Andy looked afraid.
"But…but why?" she asked.
Ron shook his head.
"It probably has something to do with his pathetic little plan of ruling the world and killing all Muggleborns. Oh, and it helps that Harry's her…her…"
Oliver decided to help him find the word.
"Fiancée?"
Ron looked at him.
"She's…but…they're not…" he spluttered.
Oliver looked over at Andy.
"You're rubbing off on me, my dear." He said.
Ron swallowed with difficulty.
"What…whatever she is to him…we need to get Harry. He has to know she's missing. Right now."
"But," Andy said fretfully, "Why can't we just try to find her now?"
Ron sighed as he prepared to Apparate, and Oliver gripped Andy's arm.
"Because Harry's the best."
o--o
Ron headed straight to Harry's cubicle the minute his feet hit the ground, not even bothering to wait on Andy and Oliver.
"Harry," He gasped, "We've got to-"
Harry was gone.
Ron stood there numbly for a minute, until Andy and Oliver caught up to him.
"He's not here!" Andy gasped.
Ron turned around quickly and ran to another cubicle.
"C-Captain Smith," He said, leaning in the doorway, "Where's Harry?"
Captain Smith looked up, annoyed.
"I should think you would know that, Weasley, since you're his partner."
Ron sighed.
"I…got separated from him. Do you know where he is?"
"He came in and told me he had a lead to follow. He kept muttering about cabinets and Hogwarts."
Ron was at a loss.
"Cabinets and Hogwarts?" he repeated.
The captain nodded.
"Yes. Now get out of my office, Weasley, and go find Potter."
Ron nodded, and left.
He met up with Andy and Oliver at the end of the rows of cubicles.
"Where's Harry?" Andy asked.
Ron shook his head.
"I dunno. Captain Smith said he was following up on a lead…said something about cabinets and Hogwarts. I have no clue what that's about!"
Oliver looked horrified.
"I do." He said.
Andy turned quickly.
"What is it?" Ron asked.
"Those Vanishing Cabinets…Harry told me once that Malfoy used them to sneak the Death Eaters in the night Dumbledore died."
Ron looked confused.
"Malfoy's been taking his victims to Hogwarts? Why?"
Oliver shook his head.
"I guess to throw off suspicion…I mean…who would look at Hogwarts to find a mass murderer and his captured victims? The first place they would look would be his house, so, really it makes sense."
Ron shuddered.
"He's insane…but we have to go to Knockturn Alley. That's where the first cabinet is."
Oliver sighed.
"Of course it is….really…why wouldn't it be some where nice like Madam Malkins…" he grumbled.
Ron smiled grimly.
o--o
"Oh, this is fun." Draco Malfoy drawled as he watched Hermione struggle against her bonds.
"Little Miss Know It All is all alone. No precious Potter or Weasley around to help you now, is there?"
Hermione said something hateful that was muffled by her gag, but Draco seemed to get the gist.
"Now, now…that's not the kind of thing you say to an old schoolmate. Really, I must learn to refine your manners…of course, I don't suppose you can help it, being a Mudblood and everything."
Hermione said something else, and Draco looked interested.
"What's that?" he said, jerking off her gag.
"You're despicable." Hermione gasped, "You're low and cowardly and the biggest excuse for a human being I've ever met."
Draco sneered.
"A bigger excuse even than Harry Potter?" he laughed, "What a coward he is!"
"He's a thousand times the person you are." Hermione spat.
Draco laughed and leaned closer to her.
"If he really was, my dear, don't you think he would be here to save you?"
Hermione said nothing, but her lip quivered slightly.
Draco let out a harsh bark of laughter.
"Oh, I do pity you. You've been made a mockery in front of the entire world. You should have stayed with Weasley, you know? At least he truly loved you."
"Harry loves me." Hermione said defiantly.
"Harry Potter loves no one." Draco said, walking over to the large cabinet that had been used as their transport. "He doesn't know how. Everyone always says `Oh, Harry Potter, he's so amazing…he can love! After everything he's been through…boo-hoo…he can still love!' Potter doesn't love. He's a show boy. He's just being the good little boy who does everything right…has the perfect image. He's been tragically heartbroken….went into a drinking binge…and came out of it with you by his side. It's a perfect ploy, isn't it? The truth is…Harry Potter is a selfish git who can't stand seeing other people happy. He lives in a world of misery! He takes everything from everyone else, and is never, ever satisfied. He's never been loved, so he's never been capable of loving. And that, my dear, is the true Harry Potter."
Hermione shook her head.
"You're wrong!" she said, "Harry loves me! He can love…and he does! And he will be here for me; because I need him and he's always…he will be here."
Draco smiled.
"He knows where you are. He just simply doesn't care. It's all about image, you see? Harry's fiancé dies tragically and he becomes the biggest story in the entire world. Think of what women will want to comfort poor Harry Potter. Really, why would he choose you?"
Hermione was shaking with fury.
"Shut up! You've never stopped being jealous of him, have you? It's pathetic!"
Draco got a very ugly look on his face and stepped towards her with his wand raised.
"I'm not pathetic and I'm NOT jealous of Harry Potter!" He snarled, "And I've had enough of you! Crucio!"
o--o
The first thing Harry saw as he stumbled out of the Vanishing Cabinet was Hermione. He saw her face, twisted with pain, tears streaming, and then he saw Draco, standing over her. Harry was frozen. Draco lifted his wand for a break and Hermione moaned.
"H-Harry." She sobbed, and Draco turned.
"Harry!" Draco said in sarcastic delight, "Expelliarmus!"
Harry watched numbly as his wand was ripped from his grasp.
"Well…not quite as quick as you used to be, are you Potter?" Draco sneered. "Shame…it might have saved your life."
Harry opened his mouth, but closed it as he saw Draco raise his wand.
"Avada Kedavra!" Draco yelled, and Harry dove out of the way.
Draco cursed, but just as his spell was leaving his wand, the cabinet door burst open, and Ron jumped out.
Straight into Draco's curse.
"RON!" Hermione shrieked as he fell to the ground, his eyes determined, and his mouth open in surprise.
As Hermione scrambled towards Ron, Harry was getting to his feet.
He couldn't spare Ron a second's glance, he had more important things to worry about.
Holding out his right hand, he mustered all his strength to perform just one wandless spell.
Within a second, his wand was back in his hand, and Draco was lying on the ground.
His chest heaving, Harry turned to look at Hermione.
She was lying on the ground, clutching Ron and sobbing.
"Mione…" He said, and walked over to her, falling on his knees beside her.
"H-Harry," she sobbed, "He's dead, Harry…Ron's d-dead…and it-it's all m-my fault!"
Harry reached out for her with shaking arms, and wrapped her in a hug.
"Shh…" he whispered, rocking her gently, "It's alright, love…it's okay…I…we…he's…let's go and find some help, okay?"
Hermione nodded against his shoulder, but before they could get up, the cabinet doors opened, and Oliver and Andy stepped out, followed by Mr. Weasley and Captain Smith.
"Oh God." Andy said, and stopped dead in her tracks.
Oliver did the same.
"Ron…" Mr. Weasley whispered, staring down at his youngest son.
Captain Smith seemed stunned.
"Potter," He said, "What happened here?"
Harry stood up.
"I…found out where Malfoy was…and I knew he had Hermione…and I came to stop him, and he saw me and disarmed me, then shouted the Killing Curse, but as I dove out of the way, Ron stepped out of the cabinet…and….and took the full blast…" Harry swallowed, "I used wandless magic to obtain my wand and then--then I killed Draco Malfoy."
Captain Smith drew a sharp breath.
"Malfoy's dead?"
When Harry nodded, his captain sighed deeply.
"Well, thank Merlin for that…he's…been a reigning terror over our world for far too long. Potter, Order of Merlin, First Class."
Harry shook his head.
"Ron. Ron deserves the Order of Merlin. He's the one I want to be known for killing Draco. He died for me…and Hermione…he deserves far more respect than I do…he's the real hero."
Captain Smith nodded his approval.
"Very well then…Potter, why don't you take this lady to the hospital? I'll take care of this, okay?"
Harry nodded, and gently helped Hermione to her feet.
"Come on, love," he whispered, "let's get out of here, okay? Mr. Weasley? Would you like to come?"
Mr. Weasley shook his head.
"No, I…I need to be with…with Ron…and…tell Molly…but…"
Harry broke away from Hermione's grasp, and hugged the man who was like a father to him.
"I am so sorry," he said, "If I could do it over, it would be me…not Ron…"
Mr. Weasley sighed heavily.
"I'm not…not saying that Ron lived a fulfilled life," he said, "but he died protecting the ones he loved, and if I know-knew Ron…that was the only thing that would matter to him. You…I want you to live the best life you can, Harry, do you promise me? Live for Ron."
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