Loss and Gain

Chapter 7

Ron opened his eyes to darkness. He blinked a few times rapidly, and looked around. He was lying in a bed with the covers tucked up around his body. He could see a dim light at the end of the long room he seemed to be lying in. Reorienting himself he realised he was in the Hogwarts infirmary.

After a few moments of wondering why he was there, he remembered the fight in the Muggle neighbourhood. He tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness and nausea swept over him. He allowed himself to fall back onto the pillow. He was strongly reminded of the day over five years ago when he woke up to find himself in the hospital wing. Before he could continue these thoughts he heard rapid, pounding footsteps coming towards him.

"I see you're awake," the annoyed voice of Poppy Pomfrey said.

"Hullo, Poppy," Ron said warily, wondering how she always knew when a patient woke up.

"You gave everyone a scare." She said as she hurriedly poured some potion from a vial. She handed it to him and gave him a look that said 'drink it or die.' He swallowed it in a hurry and tried not to vomit at the taste of it.

"What happened after I got hit with...? What did I get hit with?" he asked.

"You got hit with a simple curse that knocks people down, but you hit your head,"

"Oh... What happened with the Death Eaters?" he asked curiously.

"Twenty-three Death Eaters were captured successfully by Aurors and the Order. Most of the Order came out all right. George was hit by the Crucitatious, but is okay. He is at the end of the ward recuperating. Now I want you to go back to sleep. It is four in the morning, and Albus said you will have a visitor to fill you in, in the morning."

With one more death glare Poppy stalked back out of the ward. Ron kept running over the battle in his head. After staring at the ceiling for almost half an hour, Ron fell asleep.

Ron awoke the next morning to light streaming through the windows, and the face of Severus Snape looming over him. Ron jumped and tried to sit up. His abrupt return to consciousness had caused him forget that Snape was no longer his bitter enemy, but only a minor annoyance in the world of terror.

Snape was still a spy, and a very busy spy. Working as potions master and double agent, he did not have much free time, Ron imagined. Over the past few years, Snape had managed to gain the trust of Voldemort back. Ron still did not know what the man did to earn Dumbledore's trust, but he figured if Albus trusted him, he could.

"Weasley," Snape said simply as a greeting.

"Err... hello?" Ron responded confused.

"I'm here with a message from Dumbledore, not paying a sympathy visit I'm afraid." Snape said.

"Oh, well what is it?" Ron did not like being bed ridden when Snape was around. It made him feel vulnerable, something you definitely did not want around the man.

"I am here to tell you that no one was seriously injured in last night's battle, and something a bit more curious."

"What?" Ron asked curiously, forgetting his discomfort for the moment.

"Voldemort didn't know about the attack last night, in fact, he was furious when he heard. He authorised no such activities, and the Death Eaters that weren't captured, were severely punished."

"So, what does that have to do with anything...?" Ron trailed off, thinking about it.

"Remind me again how you got N.E.W.T.s in anything." Snape said nastily.

"How did Harry know about it then?" Ron said catching on, ignoring Snape's comment.

"That is what I find so curious about last night's attack. Dumbledore wants me to tell you to go and see Harry as soon as Poppy allows. He wants you to talk to him, see if he mentions anything. He also wants you to deliver the message that the little boy is safe. You are to report to Dumbledore when you have spoken with Potter."

"Alright," Ron agreed, but a voice in the back his head was protesting loudly. What a great friend you are! Just go and pump your friend for information. Snape dissaperated with a pop, and Ron was forced to be alone with his thoughts again. As foul as Snape's company was, he found himself wishing the man was still here, as a distraction at the very least.

*****

"Hello, Harry," Ron said cheerfully, entering Harry's hospital room.

"Hello, Ron," Harry said quickly before continuing, "What happened with the Death Eaters?"

Harry hadn't heard anything since he sent off his letters other than and owl from Dumbledore saying he was using Harry's information. It was five o'clock the next evening, and Harry was stressed to the maximum. If no one had showed up within the next two hours, Harry had already decided to check himself out of the hospital and fly to Hogsmeade. He figured that doing so might be irrational, but he didn't give a damn.

"Err... we stopped them from killing any muggles. Albus sent the message along with me that the little boy is safe, whatever that means. The muggles that live in the neighbourhood have already had there memories modified. Including Natalie Ladman, whom Dumbledore said you told about the attack. The muggles think there was a gas pipe explosion..." Ron trailed off.

"Were you there fighting?" Harry asked impatiently.

"Yeah, and Harry, I'm going to be perfectly straight with you. Dumbledore sent me here to basically pump you for information."

"What?" Harry said taken aback. He knew from Dumbledore's tactics during his fifth year that the Headmaster was often secretive, but he didn't think he would send Ron to interrogate him.

"Yeah, I didn't appreciate being ordered to do so. Will you answer the questions Dumbledore and everyone else in the Order of have without me having to try and trick it out of you?" Ron said. Harry couldn't believe Dumbledore. Why didn't Dumbledore come and talk to him! Harry made a decision.

"If Dumbledore wants information, tell him to come and ask me himself." Harry said, trying not to take his anger out on Ron. Ron and Harry chatted for awhile longer, but Harry was still fuming about Ron being sent to interrogate him. After half an hour Ron left and Harry was left alone.

"Hello James!" Dr. Lovell called from the door. Harry couldn't help but curse mentally. All he wanted was to be left alone so he could think. The doctor was the last person he wanted any contact with.

"Hullo," Harry said sullenly.

"I've got good news for you! Your physical health has recovered enough that you will be discharged next week."

"That's good." Where am I supposed to go? The Weasley's or Hogwarts?

*****

"Albus, he wants you to speak to him. He won't give me any information. He says he won't talk to anyone from the Order until you go and speak to him."

Ron was sitting in Albus Dumbledore's office. He'd gone straight to the Headmaster's office after leaving Harry. Dumbledore sat behind the desk stroking Fawkes staring off into space.

"I will be the one to go and pick him up next week when he is discharged. Do you think that would satisfy him?"

"Yeah, probably."

"I am still utterly perplexed about how Harry could've known the Death Eaters were going to go to attack before it happened..." Dumbledore trailed off still staring absently. Just then the door banged open to reveal dishevelled-looking potions master.

"Albus, I can't explain what happened... I don't understand how, it just happened!" Snape said in a stressed voice most unlike his usually calm manner.

"Slow down, Severus, and explain what you saw." Dumbledore said.

Snape sank into a seat next to Ron's still not acknowledging there was another person in the room besides Albus. Ron saw that Snape looked tired with bags under is dark eyes. The dark eyes could not hide the confusion they held.

"We were called for another meeting tonight. That in itself is rather unusual because we just had a meeting last night. Only the inner circle was there. The Dark Lord told us that a spy told him that Harry awoke. I don't know who the spy is."

"Then what happened?" Ron prompted. Snape just glared at him, and then continued.

"He told us it didn't matter, because Harry wouldn't be able to defeat him with the new measures he was going to take. He said that prophecies don't always come true, and he also said that they don't always mean what we think they do. I don't understand what he meant by that."

"Tom is probably thinking that he can avoid the prophecy somehow." Dumbledore answered.

"Anyways, he then told us that he had caught a spy. He caught Percy. You understand how whenever Voldemort catches one of his enemies he likes to play with them before killing them. He said that Percy would have the chance to defend himself. Then the Dark Lord told us, as usual, that he was the most superior wizard alive and would never be defeated. He left the room we were meeting in to go duel with Percy, but he wouldn't let us watch." Snape paused, seeming to collect himself.

Ron sat in shock. How did he get caught? Mum will never forgive herself for allowing him to be a spy...

"I don't understand what happened then. We could hear spells bouncing off the walls in the next room. I heard Percy scream, and I thought that was it, but then I heard moaning and someone speaking an enchantment, but I couldn't make out the words. Then there was silence. I thought Percy must have died, but then the door opened and Percy walked out. He was shaking, but otherwise uninjured."

"Where is he?" Ron demanded, loudly.

"He is with Poppy in the infirmary." Snape answered not looking at Ron.

"What happened to Tom?" Dumbledore urged.

"That is what I don't understand. All the rest of us were so shocked, that none of the other Death Eaters tried to attack Percy. We just rushed into the chamber. Voldemort was lying in a heap in the centre of the room. He was dead, or his body was."

"We will have to check and make sure that he is truly dead and not just bodiless." Ron said.

"Obviously," Snape said, some of his usual distain coming back to him.

"So, what did Percy say?" Ron said ignoring Snape's comment.

"After the Death Eaters convinced themselves that Voldemort was dead they all apparated away. I think they were in shock, I'm in shock too. Percy was still waiting outside the chamber. He didn't look like he was in the condition to apparate, we flooed to Hogsmeade. Percy doesn't understand what killed Voldemort either. He said that he was duelling him when the Dark Lord muttered a spell he didn't recognize. Percy said that for a few seconds he thought the spell had not worked, and then the Dark Lord collapsed into a heap, dead."

"I don't understand, I thought that Harry was the only one with the power to defeat Voldemort..." Ron said.

"That is not necessarily true. The prophecy said that Harry was the only one, but the future is not written. Prophecies are only predictors of what can happen. Prophecies are not always correct. They are possible outcomes. I have hope that Voldemort is dead. I do not know how, and we will have to look into it before we assume it is correct, but I have hope." Dumbledore stated.

"Can I go see Percy?" Ron asked.

"We will see Percy when Poppy allows it," Dumbledore said, "I suggest you go and inform your family of these events first."

"Of course." Ron said.

"Severus, I must ask you to inform Harry of what you know."

*****

Harry was reading the latest issue of Quidditch Weekly when one of his least favourite people entered his room.

"Snape?" Harry asked in surprise.

"I've been sent here by the Headmaster, Potter, this is not a sympathy visit." Snape said in disgust.

"I didn't realize the hospital allowed visitors this late." Harry said looking at his watch.

"I persuaded them," Snape said, smiling nastily.

"So, what does Dumbledore want? I told Ron to tell him I wasn't going to talk to anyone but him." Harry said.

"This has nothing to do with your childish actions. I came here to inform you of events that took place tonight that involve you."

"What?"

"It seems the Dark Lord has been defeated, temporarily at least." Snape started.

After Snape finished his story, Harry couldn't help but smile. He didn't have to defeat Voldemort anymore. Percy had already done it. The prophecy was wrong.

"Do you think he is really dead?" Harry asked.

"How should I know? Don't you? You seemed to know everything last night." Snape said scowling.

"Fine," Harry said.