The Immortal

-- Chapter One --

"I am afraid that I can no longer be of help, Mr. Weasley, as long as you refuse to cooperate," the sharp, irritated voice said - not for the first time - from across the desk. "My powers within the Ministry only extend so far, and nowhere in all of the legislature passed by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement can I find a loophole wide enough to legitimize the variety of petty crime of which you have repeatedly been accused."

Enough of the legal trash, Ron Weasley thought bitterly, but instead of saying the words aloud he arranged his face into a pleading sort of grimace and looked up into the other man's face.

"Can't you try to get me off on a small charge just one more time?" he wheedled, feeling a degree of self-disgust. Back at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he had never believed that a day would come to pass when he groveled at the feet of Zacharias Smith, particularly in such an embarrassing situation. "I hexed what's-her-name - nosy old Floo Network lady - the other day when she was messing around with my system, what do you reckon -"

"The incident has not yet reached the ears of our Department," Smith said coldly, cutting him off. "No doubt that will be tomorrow's struggle. Mr. Weasley, I understand that you are not an inherently bad man, but I will not attempt to prevent an official Ministry hearing if you proceed in your current course of action. You will find that if you even try to obey the law, the law will be on your side."

"But I'm hardly even doing anything wrong!" Ron protested. "With no disrespect intended, Mr. Smith, you lot really ought to get your priorities sorted. I am not a Dark wizard, for example, and as I understand it you still have a fair few problems of that sort - what with Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters and all being on the loose," he added sarcastically.

"Do not speak the name!" Smith said loudly, his temper suddenly flaring.

"Voldemort, Voldemort, Voldemort, ho, ho," Ron said in a bored voice.

"Do not test my patience, Mr. Weasley," Smith snapped. "You may not like me, but I am the reason that you have yet to be arrested, and to sever your single connection with this Department would be most unwise. As for You-Know-Who, our affairs do not concern you. As we work to grapple with a larger and more imminent threat to the wizarding public, obnoxious children such as yourself who choose to divert our attention will be dealt with harshly. Theft, unprovoked jinxing, smuggling," he said, jabbing at the piece of parchment in front of him on the desk with his quill, as he read aloud each offense. "All may be small crimes individually, but in the context of your record over the past six years, every small crime is magnified. I suggest that you prepare your defenses, Mr. Weasley, because you will receive a Ministry owl to schedule your hearing shortly. I shall help you, if you would like, but I can do no more to postpone official legal action."

Ron sat in silence for a moment, emotions vascillating between resentment and gratitude. Despite his impatience with Smith, he knew that the other man was partially correct - he had been very much dependent on strong legal support since he had left Hogwarts, and his Hufflepuff classmate had been the only one willing to provide such aid. They were both peers, they had both been there when -

As we work to grapple with a larger and more imminent threat to the wizarding public, obnoxious children such as yourself who choose to divert our attention will be dealt with harshly....

At once, the anger flooded back. Since when had he, Ron Weasley, made a choice to divert anyone's attention from the struggle against Voldemort? His best friends had been Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, he and Smith had stood in the Room of Requirement together, in the Department of Mysteries, two years later -

"Thank you, Mr. Smith, but I am no longer in need of your help," he said in a voice of forced calm. "Please tell me when to come to the Ministry for the hearing. And tomorrow, I'm sure, somebody will tell you about my latest dealings with the Floo Network - no need to contact me then."