Chapter Three - A Journey Begins
With a cough and a puff of ash, Filch once again stepped out of the Weasley's fireplace and into the Burrow's lounge. Again he made the trip across the room full of frozen party goers, this time knocking Mrs. Longbottom completely over. Swearing under his breath, Filch righted her before making his way to his next target.
"Oi!" Ron jerked back at Filch's jabbing finger. "What do you want?" He whipped around, taking in the scene of petrified party guests. "What's going on? Where's my sister and Luna and Hermione? Harry!" Ron was quite unnerved at the realization that Harry was frozen, too.
"Ronald Weasley, you're coming with me," Filch said.
Ron drew his wand. "Not without Harry. Not before you explain what the hell's going on!"
Filch held up his hands. "If you want to see your sister and your little girlfriends again, you'll put that thing down and come with me."
"Oh really, Mister Filch. I do think the boy deserves at least a little explanation," a translucent figure appeared beside Filch.
"Nearly Headless Nick?" Ron was thoroughly confused. "What are you doing here?"
Sir Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington sniffed. "Well, that's gratitude for you." He looked at Ron. "First, you could at least address me as, 'Sir Nick,' and second, am I not welcome in the Weasley home?"
Ron gaped, trying to make sense of the situation.
"Nevermind," Sir Nick went on. "Mister Filch, I do think I can take it from here."
"Fine by me," Filch said. "Got things to do, anyway." He walked over to the fireplace, threw a handful of floo powder in, and said something Ron couldn't make out before disappearing in a swirl of green flame.
Sir Nick straightened his ruff. "Now then! I do hope you won't object to coming with me, good sir."
Ron lowered his wand, but did not put it away. "I do hope you're going to tell me what's going on!"
"All in good time, my lad!" Sir Nick started to reach for Ron's arm.
"Are my sister and Hermione and Luna okay?"
"I'm sure they will be. Now come along -"
"The hands on the clock say, 'Mortal Peril'!"
"Yes, they do. Which is why we must be leaving straight -"
"What about Harry?"
Sir Nick took a deep breath. "You know, you can be quite exasperating."
Before Ron could argue, he felt a blast of ice cold air hit his arm. "Hey!"
"We're here!" Sir Nick announced a moment later.
It took a couple of seconds for Ron to orient himself. "We're on the Hogwart's Express?" Ron stared in disbelief as the green, rolling countryside flew by.
"Well, yes… in a manner of speaking," Sir Nick stroked his chin. "But what I meant was - "
The train lurched around a curve flinging Ron through the door of the closest compartment. "Hey!" Ron righted himself, and looking around was stunned to see himself, Harry, and Hermione - all eleven years old! - sitting in the compartment. Ron turned to Nick. "What's going on?"
"What I was going to say before I was so rudely interrupted, was that we're not so much where as when. See, I'm to take you on a little tour…"
Ron waved his hands in front of the eleven-year-old trio. Nothing happened.
Sir Nick continued. "Ever looked into a Pensieve?"
"No, but Harry's told me about them. They hold memories, so you can look at them, right?"
Sir Nick nodded. The motion resulted in his head bobbling, and nearly tipping off. Sir Nick steadied his head, cleared his throat, and continued. "Yes, something like that. There are some things you need to see."
Ron watched as eleven-year-old Hermione criticized his color-changing spell and informed him he had a smudge on his nose. He watched from their first year on, a seemingly endless parade of every snipe, every episode of bickering, every fight, every instance they weren't speaking to each other.
The slide show of memories didn't take very long, but the experience left Ron oddly spent and drained. He felt like he'd just relived the last seven years in emotional fast forward. He wasn't sure what to say, and for several long minutes he just sat as the Hogwart's Express chugged on.
Finally Ron spoke. "Yeah we fought a lot, but I was a complete git! Hermione and I are together now, and we're happy," he stood up. "And we're wasting time! How is this helping Hermione and Ginny and Luna? Where are they?"
Sir Nick took a long look at Ron. He nodded, as if in answer to a comment Ron could not hear. "Right, then. Only you can know your heart, and you're going to need to know it well before this night is through." Nick reached into his cloak and pulled out a scroll of parchment. "Listen closely Ronald Weasley, for you are being given a Quest." Sir Nick unfurled the scroll and began to read:
"Three maidens fair lie in the snow,
Their robes of deepest indigo.
The hair of one as bright as flame,
The second an unruly mane,
The third as pale
As a full moon,
These ladies three
Need rescue soon.
Enchanted sleep
Has stilled their breath,
Their skin as pale
And cold as death.
What could make them breathe once more?
What could make them whole and warm?
A quest for three young wizards brave,
They must complete by Christmas day.
The task for the brave wizard now
Is not the what, but is the how.
A leap of faith that must be made,
Else heart and dreams rest in the grave.
A wizard must choose well and soon,
If he is to reach the moon."
Sir Nick started to roll up the parchment.
"Three wizards? Who are the other two? Is it Harry? Who else then? What's all this lunacy about the moon? How do I start? Where do I go?" Ron's head was spinning, his heart racing.
Sir Nick put the neatly rolled parchment back into his cloak and gestured to the door. "Get off the train."
Ron looked and realized the Express had come to a stop. The door opened; the steps leading out of the train disappeared into thick fog. "I can't see a thing!"
"Ah, the first leap of faith, perhaps?" Sir Nick smiled.
"First?" Ron pulled out his wand and squared his shoulders as he took the first step.