Tested In Fire

This chapter is dedicated to Anne, in whose honor I dictated this whole thing with an "outrageous accent" in hopes that any birthday present from the Queens is as hilarious as Rune's was. Don't listen to her deny it, you know she was in charge... LOL!

Tested In Fire, Chapter 14: A Dangerous Rescue

This chapter is rated "R". Several passages are graphic and violent. Please note: Voldemort is evil. He's going to do bad things. If you have a problem with that, stop reading Tested In Fire, because in this fic, he will continue to do them. Regardless of whether his intended victim is a main character or not...

Ron Weasley was in trouble, and he knew it. He had a couple of problems: one, he didn't know where he was; and two, he was pretty sure the men dragging him by his armpits were Death Eaters. Also, he was pretty sure that his left leg was broken, leaving him unable to help himself by running away.

They stopped in a clearing surrounded on all sides by trees that Ron would later learn were yew. Ron closed his eyes and tried to think. If only Hermione were here with him. Was Hermione still alive? What about Harry and Ginny?

Quickly, he instructed himself not to panic. "Panic is a state where you cannot think. And when you cannot think, ladies and gentlemen, then you are as good as dead." Professor Black's words returned to him with great clarity. Swallowing, he decided could handle this.

Soon, the situation was made worse by the appearance of none other than Voldemort himself. Now, Ron had never personally encountered the Dark Lord, but he had heard enough from Harry to have a fair idea what the man... thing, looked like.

The Dark Lord's looked terrifying. His eyes were sunken in and red. His pupils were so small Ron could hardly make out that they were there at all. He wore inky black robes and moved in a smooth fluid motion that could have been called graceful if it wasn't so unnatural.

"Wormtail," said the slightly raspy voice. "What is this?"

"Potter's best friend, my Lord. Ronald Weasley."

"You were supposed to bring me the Seer."

Ron watched in horror as Voldemort's pupils grew smaller. He felt a sudden urge to faint, but wouldn't allow himself as he realized that Voldemort was talking about his sister.

"We couldn't get to him," said someone who sounded desperate.

"Idiots. Fools. Incompetent bastards. Morons. Crucio. Crucio. Crucio."

As Voldemort cast the Unforgivable Curse on three selected Death Eaters, Ron tried to cover his ears to avoid the screams, but he could not.

Much to Ron's disgust, Voldemort talked over the screams. "You did not carry out the plan. Now we are behind, and Dumbledore is more than likely aware of our knowledge. That will be enough of the screaming. Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, hold the curse for me." Without a blink, he cast a Silencing Charm over his three victims. Ron almost gagged at the expression on their faces. Mouths open in silent screams, their eyes pleaded for some relief, any relief.

"Please, Master, Potter had her and the other girl out of the room before we could react."

Ron nearly sighed with relief. Hermione and Ginny were okay. They were alive, and so was Harry. Somehow that made the peril at hand much easier to deal with.

"Did I say you could talk? Crucio!"

Ron concentrated on not moving. If Voldemort didn't see him moving, maybe he wouldn't direct any of his attention toward him.

"Finite Incantatem." Voldemort waved his wand carelessly, and the screaming stopped. The four Death Eaters who had been stupid enough to voice their objections sagged against the trees that they had backed up against. "I should kill you all for idiocy. Lucky enough for you, this boy isn't useless." Ron went white. "Bring him to me."

The Death Eaters looked at each other, then moved as a unit towards Ron. Weak from his injuries, Ron tried to rise up and run, but couldn't. Voldemort laughed at his efforts.

"Ah, yes. Even if I didn't know your name, I'd know you were a Weasley. Interfering gits, that's what your lot is. Always so concerned about what's right and wrong."

"That's better than what I can say for you," Ron spat back, despite the fact that he was shaking like a sapling in the wind.

"The Gryffindor bravery, I see. Stupid boy. Don't you see it's your loyalty to your friend that's got you into this mess? Tell me all that you know about the prophecies, and I'll let you go free."

"I don't think so," Ron said defiantly.

Voldemort cocked his head to one side and let out a very snake-like hiss. "The prophecy said that you would refuse me. If you won't talk willingly, I can make you talk unwillingly. I doubt you have Potter's ability to block the effects of the Imperius Curse. However, I have time. I'm afraid that, while enjoyable, Imperio isn't as entertaining as some others I know. Let's try this one on for size."

Ron thought, as Voldemort raised his wand, that he sounded like a tailor discussing the best fit of a robe, rather than an evil Dark Lord trying to get out of him information necessary to take over the wizarding world. "Severe!" Voldemort shouted.

Ron screamed. The pain was enormous, like hot knives on a fresh point of pressure every other second in his leg.

"This lovely little spell is ripping your tendons apart in your right leg, one by one. It's quite useless now. Even if you were to get to medical help in the next forty-eight hours, I doubt they would do much for you. Still, there are always wooden legs. I'd be more than happy to provide you with one. After you tell me about the prophecy and your sister."

"You'll get nothing out of me," Ron managed to gasp.

"Severe!" This time the pain was focused on his left leg. Ron bit his lip until tears came to his eyes, and then moaned. An image of Hermione, smiling over Butterbeer came to him, and he managed to smile.

"Fool! There is nothing to laugh about! There is no one here that would help you!" Ron saw the maniac gleam in Voldemort's eye and tried to repress a shudder. "Crucio!"

Ron felt his whole body arch, but he wasn't within his mind; he was sitting someplace lovely, someplace warm. Gryffindor common room, he realized with a start. He was sitting across from Harry at chessboard, and he was winning, as usual. Harry shook his head and smiled at his friend.

"I will not tell you anything!" Ron shouted, feeling a burst of strength from deep within him.

"You will tell me. I can make you tell me." Voldemort raised his wand over Ron's body again, and was about to cast a spell when there was a POP!

"Professor Dumbledore," Voldemort sneered. "How kind of you to join us."

"Alas, Tom, I'm afraid I cannot stay. I've only dropped in to retrieve Mr. Weasley."

"My name is not Tom. It's Lord Voldemort, and I'm afraid you won't be leaving here anytime soon."

"Your fear is unfounded. Petrificus Totalus Maximus!"

**

Hermione was lost. Sitting on a sofa in the common room, she realized that she didn't quite know what to do. The Dark Mark over The Three Broomsticks that had risen shortly after the realization of Ron's disappearance could only mean one thing. The Death Eaters had Ron.

She wanted to cry, she wanted to shout. Smashing things was looking like a definite option as well. But all she could do now was sit in the common room and wait.

Dumbledore had left to rescue Ron. He seemed like the only one who had any idea where they would be taking her boyfriend.

Her boyfriend. When he got back, she was going to kiss him silly, and then hug him, and then yell at him for scaring her witless. He was going to come back, she knew. No matter what others said, he was coming back alive.

"Hermione." Ginny Weasley came and sat next to her, and the two of them embraced. After a time, Ginny said, "Mum and Dad are on their way up. They're going to want to see you."

"I'm going to want to see them. But I just know he's not dead. I know it!"

"I know it, too. If my brother were dead, we would know."

"Where's Harry?" Hermione asked, ignoring the obvious reference to Ginny's divination powers.

"Off blaming himself. He wasn't fast enough, he should have realized it was an attack..."

"He's just being himself, then, isn't he?"

Ginny smiled gently. "Yeah."

"This sitting around is driving me nuts! I want to be doing something!"

"There's nothing you or I can do."

The portrait of the Fat Lady swung open with a bang, and Anna Black entered. "I heard. Oh, girls..."

The two of them jumped up immediately and ran to the woman that had become their confidant and a mentor over the few months they had known each other.

"Anna. I'm so glad you're here," Ginny breathed.

"Nonsense. You needed me, the both of you. Come here." She hugged them reassuringly, not unlike Mrs. Weasley would have. "Let's go down to the Great Hall. They'll make an announcement when Professor Dumbledore returns with Ron."

"Did Remus and Sirius go get Harry?" Ginny asked.

"Yes."

"Good," Ginny said decisively. "I couldn't get through to him. Maybe they can."

The Great Hall was alive with noise. People from every house waited anxiously for news of Ron's return. Hermione and Ginny were embraced, and many people took the time to murmur words of encouragement to them.

They both felt as though they were in a tunnel, though. Every sense was tuned to hear Professor Dumbledore's voice, or Ron's easy footstep, or anything.

Ginny was whispering her thanks to Dean when she heard Harry behind her, with Remus and Sirius close behind him.

"Harry!" Hermione ran into his arms. There was where she felt the safest at the moment, and she finally let her tears loose, despite the fact that he wasn't Ron.

Suddenly, everyone in the room turned to see Professor Dumbledore in the hallway. "I see that I don't have to ask for your attention. We have recovered Mr. Weasley. He is in the care of Madam Pomfrey, as he received wounds from his encounter with Lord Voldemort. Friends will be allowed to visit him tomorrow morning. Staff members, to my office. Miss Weasley, Mr. Potter, if you would join us?"

Harry and Ginny exchanged glances, and Hermione looked confused that she hadn't been invited. "Miss Granger, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley will be arriving. If you could greet them and then head to my office, please?"

"Yes, Professor Dumbledore."

"Prefects, lead your housemates to their dormitories. Stick together, everyone. Staff, Harry, Ginny, please follow me."

They wandered through the corridors, and ended up in front of Professor Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore gave the password ("Fizzing Whizbee"), and the gargoyle let them into the cluttered space.

Remus and Sirius pushed Harry into a chair, and Anna made Ginny sit on the stool next to Harry. The adults arranged themselves like a protective barrier around the two of them.

"Is Ron going to be okay? Where is he?"

"Mr. Weasley will be fine, and will recover the use of his legs in two weeks. I'm afraid that there will not be any more Hogsmeade visits for the students."

The adults glanced at each other, and Professor McGonagall finally spoke up. "Well, I think we all saw it coming. They'll be disappointed, but it's for their safety."

"I think it's time that you all know something that I have been keeping secret for a very long time," Dumbledore said, wearily. He seemed ancient, tired. "At the time of Lily and James's death, James had the potential to be the one to overthrow Voldemort. All he needed was more time."

Dumbledore stood up and began to pace. "There is a set of three prophecies, two of which I know to exist." Ginny and Harry exchanged a quick look. A million words passed between them, but neither one of them said anything. "Voldemort has one, I believe, and I have the first one. The gist of both of them is that a male of the Potter line and his redheaded mate will defeat an Evil Lord that will try to take over the wizarding world. But you all know that. I am the only one in this room that has seen the second prophecy, however, and I will tell you that if Voldemort is smart he already knows to go after Harry... and Ginny."

"Why Ginny? There are lots of red-headed girls in the school," Professor Sprout said.

"Because Ginny is a Seer," Anna said, rising and beginning to tick the points off on her fingers, "because Voldemort does not care for the Weasley family, because Ron is Harry's best friend, and she is the main redheaded female Harry has come in contact with, and because it's common knowledge that Ginny had a crush on Harry."

Harry went bright red, and Ginny ducked her head. Remus looked shocked, and Sirius grinned. Then most of the teachers realized that Harry and Ginny had been holding hands the entire time. Professor McGonagall tried to cover her chuckle, but couldn't.

"Excuse me, Professors, but Mr. and Mrs. Weasley are here."

"Thank you, Miss Granger. You are all welcome to come inside."

"Why won't Madam Pomfrey let me see Ron? What's going on here? Is he okay?" Mrs. Weasley blurted out all of this very fast, and a few people were having a hard time following her.

"He'll be just fine, Molly. I'm afraid the Death Eaters were able to kidnap Ronald before any of us could do anything about it. Lord Voldemort placed a variation of the Severe Charm on the tendons in both of his legs. Luckily, he will be able to regain movement and control with a couple weeks under Madam Pomfrey's watchful care. In a few minutes, you'll be more than welcome to visit Ronald, though I fear he's unconscious and there's little you can do for him. However, one of your other children is in danger."

Arthur swallowed. Harry stood up very quickly and offered his seat to Mrs. Weasley.

"What exactly is going on, Professor Dumbledore?"

"That's what we'd all like to know," Professor Snape growled.

"Ginny is in great danger," Professor Dumbledore said, and then sat down heavily into a chair.

"What?" Mrs. Weasley stood up almost as fast as she had sat down.

"As I was saying before, the second prophecy revolves around the son of the stag and flower."

"So, that's me," Harry said weakly, and began to rub his forehead.

"Yes, but what does Ginny have to do with any of this?" Arthur asked, worriedly. "We love Harry like a son, of course, but you said that Ginny was in grave danger."

"Ginny is in danger because the prophecy speaks of a 'redheaded Maiden who sees far beyond Time.'"

"Nobody is supposed to know about her being a Seer, though!" Mrs. Weasley protested.

"Apparently Voldemort's reach extends further than I had thought," Professor Dumbledore replied. "The young Lion and the Maiden are supposed to be the ones to defeat the Evil One, should the stag fail."

"Sounds like a vague lot of rubbish to me," Mrs. Weasley muttered bitterly.

Professor Dumbledore smiled. "That it does, until you realize that everything mentioned in the other prophecy is happening right now, or has happened. James never did get a chance to try to defeat Voldemort, as his plans were interrupted by an attack of Voldemort himself. Voldemort was never really interested in Lily. She was only mentioned sporadically."

"That's what got Ron captured?" Harry snarled. "Some stupid prophecy that doesn't make any sense?"

"Yes. I'm afraid they were going after Ginny when they grabbed Ronald instead," Professor Dumbledore said.

"It's not your fault," Sirius said firmly. "Don't give me that look, young man. I know exactly what you were thinking. James was the same way," he started, but then shook his head. "I know that Ron doesn't blame you, and you shouldn't blame yourself."

Mrs. Weasley nodded. "Listen to your godfather, Harry. I'm Ron's mother, and I certainly don't blame you."

Arthur placed a hand on Molly's shoulder and nodded his agreement.

Harry gave a frustrated sigh, and Ginny squeezed his hand.

"So, Professor Dumbledore, if we're to defeat Voldemort, what's the plan?"