The Fat Muggle, Ten Years Later

----------The Fat Muggle, Ten Years Later. chapter two, "Back to Hogwarts"-----------

Ron had never felt so nervous as he felt now, walking up to his oldest, and best, friends he´d ever had.

But his nervousity was swept away the moment he caught Harry's eye.

It was like all of the adventures they had shared in their youth came over him like a tidalwave and he was happy to see him.

They smiled at the same time and Harry laughed as he got up from his chair and ran over and hugged Ron.

Ron laughed too and patted Harry's back.

Dudley followed Harry's example and came up to hug Ron too.

"We were beginning to think you weren't coming, you sod!" Dudley said.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Ron answered and felt happy.

Then he saw Hermione sitting with her cup of coffee and her apple pie.

She looked scared and loving at the same time and Ron knew what she felt.

She didn't know were she had Ron after their breakup other than in their jobs, so how was she going to deal with him now?

He walked up to her.

And smiled.

"Hi, Herm," he said. "It's been too long. Give me a hug," he said and opened his arms to her.

She rushed up and embraced him and cried on the inside.

She had never stopped loving him, but showing such a strong feeling after being dumped by him would mean showing the world she was a fool, according to her.

So she acted like she didn't love him; she'd acted for years and sometime she believed it herself, but that act was dropped now.

At least for a little while.

They sat and talked about the children they were all those years ago and Ron had felt this good too few times since the breakup.

They had all fallen into their old roles, just like they were back in school again after summer break and nothing had changed.

"So Harry, were did those glasses go?" Ron asked.

"They have been replaced with octo-sheats! The wizarding worlds version of contact lenses," Harry answered and laughed.

And you, were did you get that scar?" Harry asked, not knowing it was Voldemort who put it on Rons face five years ago.

Ron and Hermiones faces fell.

"I got it five years ago. From the same man who gave you yours," Ron said and felt just as miserable as he'd done only two hours before.

Harry felt terrible.

"Oh. Sorry," he said but it wasn't near enough to repair the damage done.

A tear left Dudley's eye.

"I remember what he said the day he asked me to marry him," he said and everyone knew it was Neville he was talking about.

"He said 'I know I'm not much to look at, but if you want to, I was wondering if you'd like to spend the rest of your days with me'."

Dudley cried.

Ron patted his back to comfort him, but he felt just as devastated as Dudley did.

"Not much to look at. How could he even think such a thought? He was my world and when he wasn't there anymore...I couldn't function anymore," he continued.

"The day I got the report on my table of the operation, I cried. I didn't talk to anyone but Ron that day," Hermione said and was on the verge of tears herself.

"As if it wasn't enough to lose our Tristan, we had to lose one of our best friends too and I to this day still hate Voldemort for what he made us all go through!" she continued and cried.

Harry looked Ron in the eye and saw the unspeakable sorrow that he never had to tell anyone about; it was plain to see.

"I was in class that day. Teaching about Boggarts. I was stunned and I came to think of Neville's Boggart back in third year, remember? Snape in a dress? All of the students were cheering because Voldemort had been killed and I understand them, but I couldn't join them," Harry said lowly.

"I disappeared in the cheers and I barely managed to dismiss classes for the day. I had written to Neville just a few days before and that same night I got his owl," Harry continued and tried to remember the letter.

"It said he'd love to come and watch a game of Quidditch when his schedule cleared up. I broke down and didn't have any classes for three days, but I couldn't go to the funeral because Albus had gotten word that I was being targeted by remaining Death Eaters and I should stay at Hogwarts," Harry said.

Ron and Dudley nodded in understanding.

"He was a good friend. I remember the song they played at his funeral. It was a Muggle song,'Seasons in the sun', Neville's favourite, and I could see how everyone broke into tears," Ron said.

It was silent for a long time.

The sun had set and a waitress came out and said they were closing the shop.

They got up and payed and walked down the street.

They came to the end of Hogsmeade and without thinking walked up to the gates of Hogwarts.

Once there, Ron woke from his thoughts and looked startled at the big gates with the living gargoyles on the big pillars.

"I never thought I would be back here again," he said and smiled.

"Let's go in, shall we?" Harry asked and opened the door.

They walked down the familiar corridors and said hello to Madame Pomfrey.

They stopped at the end of the marble staircase leading up to Gryffindor Tower.

The Lady in the Pink dress waved at them and seemed pleased to see them.

"If you want you could spend the night in the teachers dormitory," Harry said to them.

"Really? Are you sure that's ok?" Dudley asked.

Harry nodded and led them the way.

Suddenly a whistle blew behind them and they all jumped and expected to see Filch running at them, but it wasn't Filch.

A shadow came at them on the wall very fast, but stopped when it saw who they where.

"I wasn't expecting to see you lot," Colin Creevey's echoing voice sounded.

"Colin?" Ron asked surprised.

"What are you doing here?" Dudley asked.

"I'm the new caretaker. I do both Filch's and Hagrid's jobs these days," Colin answered.

They all knew what had happened to Hagrid but what about Filch?

"Where is Filch? Did he get fired or something?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, he did. He had been shagging this fifth-year Ravenclaw and that cost him his job," Colin said.

"Oh dear," said Hermione.

"Well, if you excuse me, I have to continue my patrol," Colin said and levitated away.

They continued their walk down the corridors that represented their youth.

With a few turns, they were soon in the teachers dormitory and were each given a bed and soon they were all asleep.

They all dreamt about their past days of solving mysterys, getting sent to detention, playing Quidditch and winning the house cup.

When they awoke the next morning, they went down to eat breakfast in the Great Hall as they had done a million times before.

The only differance was that they ate at the teachers table instead of the Gryffindor table.

The Great Hall looked like it always had and the food was still the best they'd ever tasted.

Even gruel would be delicious if it was served here.

McGonagall said hello to them and they had a pleasant chat with her and her husband: Severus Snape.

"Well, one day we just noticed each other!" McGonagall said and looked at Snape with a smile.

"It just happened to be in the teachers showers with me completely naked," Snape filled in with a naughty smirk.

"Severus!" McGonagall said, shocked.

Ron and Dudley couldn't believe their eyes.

Hermione and Harry had been at the wedding so it was no surprise for them.

Minerva had made Snape go through a radical change; he'd become happier and even though he was still very strict, he was more fair and was actually good friends with Harry!

This was to Ron a great shocker.

"You two? Friends?" he asked mortified.

"Yes, Ron. You know, he didn't ruin our lives, did he? I know we thought he would eventually, but he never did," Harry answered.

Ron shook his head and continued eating.

Then the mail was delivered.

Harry got a whole bunch of bills and today's copy of the Daily Prophet.

The headline came as a bomb.

"Oh my God!" said Harry.

"How the hell..." said Ron.

"Why the fuck wasn't I notified about this?? I am the bloody Minister of Magic!!" Hermione swore.

"What is the matter?" Dudley asked.

Harry tossed him the newspaper and Dudley froze in horror.

They all left the Great Hall and went outside where they all apparated to the Ministry of Magic on Hermione's command.

She wanted them all in on this.

If anyone could fix this, it was them.

McGonagall picked up the newspaper and read the headline.

"Draco Malfoy escaped from Azkaban. Ten guards killed!"

-------------to be continued in chapter three, "The King of Pain"----------