Always the Sidekick

Chapter 18

"We need to move the plan along."

Ron heard voices, but he couldn't see any faces. Why did his body ache? Why couldn't he see anything?

"He will be ready in a month," a gentle female voice said. He knew voice.

"The Dark Lord wishes it to be done now. We cannot send him back to that school with the information he has." This deep voice was familiar.

"I have it under control," the female voice said again. "One month, Lucius."

The voices died, or maybe the pain in his body seared so badly he died; Ron didn't know. But he heard no more.

Ron's mouth was dry. It felt like he hadn't had a drink in days. His head was swimming. It felt like his brain had gone into overdrive while his body slept. He opened his eyes and saw Mina sitting next to him in the bed, readin

"What happened?" Ron said in a whisper.

"You must have been tired. You've been asleep for four days." There was nothing in her voice to suggest this was unusual behavior. But it was frightening to Ron.

"Four days? Why didn't you wake me?" Ron looked at her, amazed.

"I just thought you were tired," she replied.

"Mina," Ron said in an angry tone, one he had never before used on her. "There is something going on. You can't be that daft. What happened?"

"I don't know what you're on about. You were asleep, Ron." She, too, became defensive.

Ron realized he wasn't going to get anything out of Mina. He looked at her again, in a way he hadn't ever seen her before. She scared him.

He got out of the bed and got his wand.

"What are you doing?" Mina asked.

Ron didn't answer. He closed his eyes and a moment later was relieved to be in the comfort of the sitting room at the Burrow.

Ron tried not to think of what had happened while he was at Mina's. He was so happy to be back with his family. Charlie and Beth were just months away from their wedding, and it was all the pair of them talked about.

Angelina was making tremendous strides now that Fred was there. The faculty at St. Mungo's estimated she would be ready to leave in just weeks. She still couldn't recall why she'd gone into the coma in the first place, nor could she remember the events leading up to it, including the loss of the baby. But at least she was getting better.

There was still the nagging in the back of Ron's mind about Mina. He needed to talk to someone about it, but with Harry still brassed off, Ron couldn't go to him. And Ginny wouldn't leave Harry alone. So he couldn't go to her either. Once again, he missed Hermione. But what would he say to her? He thought that the person who had kept her and Ron apart was evil. Did he think she would really buy that anyway? He closed his eyes and took in the happy laughter and talk in the room. Just live in the moment.

"I had another dream last night," Ginny said slowly, in case Ron was going to blow up again.

"About what?" he said tonelessly. He looked at the Chudley Cannons magazine on the end table in the sitting room. For the first time since Ron got home, they were alone.

"About You-Know-Who." She seemed annoyed, and rightfully so. If it had been anything else, Ron would have turned her away. But instead he stopped what he was doing.

"What happened?"

"He was in that same chair he's always in. And Mina was there. And Malfoy. And some other Death Eaters. I couldn't see their faces. He was talking to Mina. She was in tears. She said she didn't want to do it anymore. I don't know what she was talking about. But You-Know-Who was not happy about that. He put the Cruciatus on her."

Ron didn't say anything at first. "Why do you keep having these dreams?" Ron asked.

"I think when Tom Riddle possessed me, he left some part of himself in me. I don't really understand it. But I think on certain occasions I can see what You-Know-Who is doing. And of course he wouldn't think I can. I mean, I'm not even sure he knows I know about the diary. He probably does, but still. How can he know he passed that on to me?"

This scared Ron. It was as if she were seeing what was going to happen. He knew now he needed to tell Ginny about Christmas. "Ginny, I need to tell you something, but I need you All right?"

She nodded, and Ron paced the room. "At Christmas when I was with Mina, something happened. I'm not sure what it was. I went to sleep one night, and I woke up four days later. I didn't know what happened, and when I asked Mina about it, she didn't seem concerned. I mean, that's strange, isn't it? Normal people don't just sleep for four days."

Ginny's eyes got big. "You don't remember anything? It was like you were one place and then another, and you don't know how you got there?"

"No, not exactly. I never left the bed. I knew that. I was in the same clothes and everything. What do you think it is?"

"No idea," Ginny said, sounding helpless. She sat next to Ron. "Maybe you should stay away from her; at least until we know what happened to you."

Ron nodded. He felt stupid for ignoring everyone who told him there was something about Mina they didn't trust. He felt embarrassed for trusting in her so much. But mostly he felt horrible for treating Hermione the way he did. It made his heart hurt to think about it.

It wasn't easy for Ron to avoid Mina. She seemed to be everywhere he was when they got back to Hogwarts. He tried to push her away, but then she'd smile at him and touch his hand, and he'd want nothing more than to be with her.

At the same time, Ron felt like his mind was swimming with thoughts, but he couldn't remember what they were. It seemed like there was a weight on his brain that wasn't caused by anything.

"We have to leave Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall said someone has tampered with the safety wards on the castle. They want us to go to Hogsmeade until they figure it out." Harry didn't look at him.

"How come they didn't announce it?" Ron asked, not concerned.

"They did, in the common room. Ron, get up; we have to leave." Harry looked annoyed.

Ron felt so much distrust in Harry he didn't budge. Harry sighed and turned to leave when Ron felt his mind go light and a voice say, We only havemoment. Do it, boy. You know what you have to do. Do it now.

Ron put his hands on his head. He couldn't stop the voices. It was like his mind was not under his control. For some reason he did know. He knew the wards on the school were in fact down. That a few select students had found a way to make that possible, and all Ron had to do was to touch Harry, and they would arrive where Ron was needed. Harry was a Portkey. It was as if he had no control over his hand when his wand raised and he said, "Imperio."

"Ron, what are you doing?" Harry asked, not affected by the curse. He turned back from the door and stared blankly at Ron. The voice in his head roared with rage. Ron again put his head in his hands.

Just touch him. Grab him and hold on. Touch him, Ron. Halfway to the floor, Ron staggered to him, reached out his hand and placed his palm on Harry's stomach. There was a tug in his back. And soon his feet were off the ground.

They appeared in a dark room in a cold estate. Ron felt sick to his stomach from the Portkey, but he also felt a new sense of purpose. He was here to kill Harry. Now he knew what he had to do, and now he would do it. He looked at Harry and started to raise his wand when he heard a voice come out of the dark.

"Not yet, Weasley," the voice said. It was one he didn't recognize. The room lit up and Ron could see three Death Eaters standing in front of a chair. One was Wormtail, looking smug and nervous. One was a man he recognized from his third year, Macnair. The third, Ron didn't know.

"We want to make sure the Dark Lord is here for this," Macnair said. The room got a chill to the already cold air, and a door in the corner opened. Through it walked Lucius Malfoy and a skinny, frail-looking wizard. Ron recognized him from his dreams. It was Lord Voldemort. And to his horror, behind them were two students from Hogwarts. Onse Slytherin Ron had been on the outs with since he was eleven; the other, Mina.

Ron looked at Mina, confused. Was she there? To try and trick Ron? Would the Death Eaters kill her if he didn't kill Harry? She was looking at him strangely. Her violet eyes held some sort of emotion Ron had never seen in them. Was it fear? He couldn't tell.

"Weasley," the voice of Lord Voldemort spoke. "We meet finally. I feel like I know you from the thoughts you've allowed me to penetrate." It looked like a smile was creeping on the odd mouth.

Ron couldn't speak. He looked at Harry, and a surge of horrible rage filled him. He wanted to kill Harry. Why weren't they letting him?

As if knowing what he was feeling, Voldemort spoke again. "Okay, Weasley. You may do it now."

Ron scanned the room full of people. The three Death Eaters who were in the room when he entered spread apart, and Ron saw someone bound to a chair that was behind them. Her brown eyes were tear-filled, and her face was pale. But she said nothing.

"Why is she here?" Ron said tonelessly.

"Incentive," one of the Death Eaters moved in closer to her. "You don't kill Potter; we get to do whatever we like to the Mudblood." He brushed a finger along Hermione's cheek. Ron saw her tremble at his touch.

Do it now. Kill him, the voice in his head was shouting now. Ron looked down at Harry with disgust and raised his wand. He glanced up for a mere second and saw the look on Hermione's face. She was scared. She was scared of him. No, Ron wasn't sure he liked this. He remembered the look on her face the night she came to him in the Burrow. That look was of pure love. frightened of him. Stop the dumb teenage ramblings. Kill him now! Ron took his wand and turned it to himself. It would get rid of the voice. It would take away all the guilt he was now feeling. He closed his eyes. Tears streamed down his cheek and the room went silent. "Avada," he started. But before he could finish, he was on the floor, and Harry was above him, taking his wand from him.

To his horror, he heard screaming in his head and felt like someone had just dropped his body into a bucket of ice water. He was paralyzed. Pain like he had never felt shot through his veins. When Ron's gaze traveled to where Voldemort had been standing, Ron noticed the body of the dark wizard was limp. There was no life in it. Voldemort was inside Ron. He could feel it. It was horrible. It was painful. Harry walked toward him. No longer the scared twelve-year-old he remembered in the Chamber of Secrets. But a powerful wizard. He had a look of confidence on his face. Ron wanted Harry to kill him, to make the pain go away. To make him forget what he'd done to Hermione, who now was sobbing openly as every other wand in the room was on her.

Harry raised his wand and said, "Exitius!"

At the same moment, he heard wizard voices. "Crucio!" And the scream came from Hermione.

Ron felt tired. His body felt wrecked. Harry turned his back to the group of Dark wizards, and Ron saw the figure of Voldemort come back to life. He tried to wrap his mind around it. He tried to stand upright. Before he realized it, he was on his knees. And the last thing he saw was Hermione shrieking in pain.