A Hero's Defeat

A Hero's Defeat

Chapter Three

Ron Weasley dropped to the ground to avoid a curse thrown by a Death Eater. He'd Apparated to Hogsmeade and right into a crowd of Death Eaters.

"Stupefy."

"Crucio."

"Imperio."

"Avada Kedavra."

Ron dodged each curse with ease, his years of Quidditch practice serving him well. He was facing ten Death Eaters now, having stunned three.

What was going on? He couldn't understand why they would be attacking him and not the school. None of the lethal wards were up yet and Death Eaters could pass them with ease.

Then a voice from behind him. He didn't have time to react. "Stupefy."

~~~

Ginny Weasley nodded silently to the people who had come to take Draco Malfoy's body from the front entrance of the former school. How had things gotten so out of control?

Ginny sat down on the front steps of the school and looked out over the grounds. She saw Harry heading towards her from the forest and groaned inaudibly. She loved Harry, she really did, but since he'd been free of Voldemort, he wasn't himself.

Ginny knew that he'd never be himself again. He was too far gone.

"Ginny," he said. She looked at him; the clearness in his eyes was unnerving. She hadn't seen his eyes like that in a long time.

"What?" she asked.

"Ron's in trouble."

She jumped up, thousands of possibilities running through her mind. Voldemort had been after Ron for a long time because he was Harry's friend, but now Ron's stake in the war had changed. He was one of those leading the rebellion and he was a threat to Voldemort that had to be dealt with.

If he had Ron now what would that mean for the Order? For everyone?

"How do you know?" she asked Harry who was now leaning casually against the doors.

"I just do," he replied before going inside.

Ginny flinched at the coldness in his voice. Ron. She couldn't lose her brother, not now.

Not ever.

She had lost so many people in the war already. It had last far longer than anyone had predicted it would. Voldemort had gained too much power since Harry had dropped out of the war. It was scary. People refused to fight him and it resulted in more Death Eaters than the Order and the Ministry could handle.

And now they had Ron; her brother, the one that she was closest to.

~~~

Peter Pettigrew had wanted nothing to do with the Dark Lord's new plan to finish off Harry Potter. One would have thought that Potter had been destroyed.

But not Lord Voldemort.

His newest plan was the most insane, yet the most brilliant thing that anyone could have created.

Doubts still plagued the former Marauder, though. Something had to go wrong. It wasn't that he doubted the Dark Lord's abilities, but there was something there that wasn't right.

They were going to fail.

Hope never dies.

The Animagus remembered those words. Potter had spoken them mere hours before he'd broken. What had he meant? Torturing Potter had been a trying experience. He'd last far too long. Even the strongest wizards and witches broke under three weeks of continuous torture. But Potter had lasted two months of the most painful Dark Arts that Lord Voldemort and the Lestranges could dream up.

Peter couldn't figure out why it had taken so long. It made even less sense now that Weasley had been brought to Azkaban. Potter wouldn't care. He had denounced his friends after his own experiences in Azkaban when they had all left him for dead at the Dark Lord's hands.

Weasley didn't matter.

~~~

When Ron woke up, he immediately realized that he was in deep trouble. Okay, surrounded by Death Eaters was not a good or fun thing. He knew this from brief experiences and, of course, the torture he had endured with his family at the Dark Lord's hands.

He knew what Voldemort wanted. It was simple enough. Ron had been leading an underground movement of Dark Creatures in an uprising against the Death Eaters. It had been a task that Remus and Sirius had started and Ron had continued it after their deaths. He had gained the respect and trust of the werewolves, vampires, and even a few Acromantulas. It had taken many months of negotiations and hard work, but it had been worth it.

Voldemort raised his wand. This was going to hurt.

"Crucio."

~~~

Harry walked towards the room that he'd been staying in while he'd been at Hogwarts. Ginny had decorated it in Gryffindor colors. Gold and red. Harry hated the color red. It reminded him to much of blood. Far too much blood. He saw the blood of them, flowing in the fields that had been their home for a millennia.

He laughed. It wasn't a happy sound, instead dark, more evil. Scary.

He sat down at the desk and pulled out a tattered notebook and opened it up to the first blank page. Grabbing a quill, he began to write.

Time seems to have stood still. Things haven't changed. Draco Malfoy's dead and Tom has Ron for some sick plan that I'm certain involves me.

I've effectively gotten everyone to believe that I'm insane, although if Hermione were here, she'd see right through it. I wonder where she is now, probably in Azkaban, working with Tom on something. I should have killed her.

Ginny is starting to question things. She didn't come right out with an interrogation but I could see it in her eyes when I told her that Tom had Ron.

Tom has somehow figured out the truth. I did everything that I had to. The Death Eaters believe it, so why doesn't he?

Unless he knew all along what I was doing? That is possible. Sirius could have told him about the Occlumency.

Sirius. Where is he? I have every right to believe that he's dead, but I don't think that's true. It's almost like I can feel him. It was the link that Makara formed between us. It's strong now, as strong as it was when I knew he was alive.

Something is about to happen. I know it, but I don't know what. I can't risk investigating because Ginny and Charlie would find out. They can't discover the truth about these things. Maybe there's something in Snape's library.

It looks like I'm going to have to disappear for a few days. I need to get into Grimmauld Place without anyone in the Order knowing. It's going to be next to impossible.

Harry closed the book and charmed it to look like a potions text. No one could know the truth about his insanity. His plan had worked until today, until he heard the woman in the forest and until he realized that he could no longer hide behind a mask. He had recognized the voice. He knew who it was now. It was her; the Lady Makara, possibly the most powerful being in the world when she was at full strength. She had helped him discover his true identity as Harry Potter and the only person who had the power to kill Voldemort.

But first, he needed to find his godfather.