Always the Sidekick

Chapter 21

Ron's feet carried him down the corridor of the dungeon. It was silent again. He told himself not to worry. This was Harry. He'd gotten out of many situations. But a voice in the back of his mind kept whispering his luck had to run out sometime. Ron's heart pounded in his chest as he saw a door at the end of the corridor. The only door in the damp hallway that was closed. This had to be it.

Ron suddenly felt more frightened then he ever had before. He didn't want to think about what he'd see when he opened the door. He didn't want to think about Harry's lifeless body laying on the concrete floor. He squeezed his eyes shut and turned the knob. To Ron's amazement it wasn't locked. He opened his eyes and entered the room

The room was enormous. Ron couldn't imagine what it could have been used for. The Burrow could have fit in it. He saw a semicircle formed around something. Something that was laying on the ground. And then he saw Harry. He wasn't hurt. He wasn't even bound. He was just standing staring at the object on the ground as well. And all the masked people in the semi circle were staring at Harry.

It appeared Ron had entered unnoticed. As quietly as he could he walked around the room, trying to get closer to the circle to see what was in it without being seen. It didn't work. Harry's green eyes looked up for a moment and caught Ron's. Then back down to the object on the floor.

"You will tell us, Potter." A voice snarled. Ron didn't recognize it.

In a whisper Harry replied, "I don't know. I've already told you." He didn't take his eyes off the floor.

"He is not lying," came a voice that Ron did recognize. Chills ran down his back. It was Lord Voldemort. His thin tall form had entered the room from a door on the other side. "He knows nothing of the attack. Nor who organized it."

Attack? What was going on? Ron strained his ears farther.

"However, you worked hard to get Potter here. You took the wards down on the school. You destroyed half the students. But you didn't bother to lock the door. Did they, Weasley?"

Voldemort turned and looked Ron directly in the eye. He heard footsteps behind him and a half dozen hands grabbed him and pulled him across the room next to Harry. Once a binding charm was placed on him Ron was able to see what was in the center of the circle.

"Ginny," he gasped. Her body was lifeless and she had blood coming from her head. Ron fought to hold in tears, but failed.

"Weasley? Well, hello." Lucius Malfoy stepped forward. "It seems we will rid the world of the Weasley's after all. Your lot are too stupid to leave well enough alone. You think if you care for something it's enough to save it, do you?"

Ron didn't answer. He looked at Harry. They were doomed. And all Ron could think was that he never told Hermione he loved her. He was going to die and she would never know just how he felt. God he wanted her to be safe.

"So, Potter," the old unfamiliar voice said. "You say you don't know who attacked the headquarters of the Dark Lord. Yet you are directly involved with the Order of the Phoenix. The Dark Lord says you aren't lying, and I have to believe him. But I think you know more then you let on."

Ron's mind swam again. An attack on the Death Eaters? No, the Order wouldn't be that stupid. Would they? Ron felt so out of the loop. So out of reality he wasn't sure what people were capable of anymore.

"I, I don't know," Harry said again. His voice cracked. He looked at Ron pleadingly. At least if they were going to die they were going to do it together. Maybe this way Hermione would have a chance to be with a person who wasn't a daft fool, Ron thought.

The semi circle dissipated and Voldemort strode toward Harry. This was it, Ron knew. Voldemort was going to kill Harry. But to his surprise Voldemort leaned down toward Ginny. A twisted smile formed on his lips. "As soon as this one dies I will have all my powers back." Voldemort chuckled at the confused look on Ron's face.

"When I possessed your dear sister all those years ago I left some part of me in her. Like I did with Potter."

Ron looked at Harry. Did Harry know Voldemort was aware of the abilities he'd given Harry?

"However, unlike with Potter, I didn't get those abilities back when I received my body. Once they leave her body however they will enter into mine again." Voldemort bent down closer to Ginny and ran a finger down her cheek. "Pity. She is quite beautiful. Much like her aunt."

It was a good thing Ron was bound. He wanted to kill Voldemort. "Leave my sister alone." He snarled.

Voldemort stood and rounded on Ron. Oh, God, he thought. This is it. He wondered if it hurt to have the Killing Curse put on him. He would soon find out. But Voldemort didn't raise his wand. He didn't speak. He just stood, looking into Ron's eyes. A challenge.

A creaking door shattered the silence. And to his horror Ron saw Hermione enter. Flanked by two Slytherin seventh-years.

"We found this one, my Lord." The boy on the left said. Ron recognized him as Theodore Nott. The one on the other side of Hermione was Millicent Bullstrode. She had a nasty snarl on her face.

Voldemort put a binding charm on Harry then walked toward the threesome. "Ah, a Mudblood," he said with pure delight.

That was it. Ron wasn't going to let them hurt Hermione. He thrashed, trying to get out of his bonds when a voice called, "Crucio," and Ron's whole body was overcome in pain. Incredible pain. He couldn't see. He couldn't hear. And it seemed to go on for ages. His mouth was open, but Ron wasn't sure any noise was leaving it.

When the curse was taken off finally and he opened his eyes he realized he was on the floor. And looking directly into the blank face of Ginny. She was still alive, or at least she was moments ago. Could she see him? He kept his eyes on her. He couldn't move his body if he wanted to anyway.

He willed his mind to tell her mind, hang in there Ginny. We'll all die together. Hang on. And he was met with a warmth in his soul. Had she heard him?

Don't move. A voice? Ron was hearing voices. Had the Cruciatus Curse made him go mad? I'll unbind Harry and Hermione. But don't move.

Who was that? What was that voice? It sounded familiar. If he were hearing voices would they sound like himself? If the voice was coming from his head then he was going to do these things. But how could he unbind Harry when he couldn't move? Oh bloody hell. He was going mad.

Ron picked his head up only slightly from the floor and was able to see Hermione through a gap in the group around her. She was terrified. He could see her scared face. Her eyes had pleading in them. And to his sheer horror, a Death Eater moved in and kissed her.

It seemed to bring a terror to Ron he'd never felt before. They were going to take her with force. He wished he could move his body. He wished more then anything he could help. And then he heard a strong voice say, "Relashio." And footsteps.

Ron ebbed his foot to the side and felt nobody there. Harry was free. And he was sending curses Ron had never seen across the room. Dodging curses himself. And for the first time, really, Ron appreciated what a powerful wizard Harry Potter was. Then the voice that was inside Ron's head earlier sounded again. And it too was shouting curses. But Ron was laying on the ground, still unable to move his body. He couldn't be up there fighting with Harry too.

His eyes caught sight of Hermione again and in mere seconds she was free as well. Spells were flying across the room. Harry and Hermione were outnumbered at least three to one though. There was no way they'd make it.

A strength Ron didn't know he even had came over him. He felt like arms were pulling him off the ground. Can you stand? The voice asked. But he felt a breath in his ear this time. This voice wasn't coming from his head. It was coming from a person.

Ron nodded. The arms that supported him let go and Ron wobbled on the spot. But after a second he was standing. There was only one curse Ron could come up with. "Stupefy," he shouted and pointed his wand at the witch who was advancing on Harry.

"Stupefy," he said again, running from a green trail of sparks that were aimed at him. This time his curse hit the wizard who had kissed Hermione. He felt a sense of satisfaction in that.

He only had a second to marvel at the scene. And the voice, whoever it was, was making the most progress. Since the voice couldn't be seen it wasn't getting cursed. And in one blow it took out three Death Eaters.

Ron finally reached Hermione. She had a fierce look on her face. She was going to take out this lot, or die trying. But there wasn't anyone throwing curses around anymore. And Ron's attention went to Harry.

Bellatrix Lestrange was slinking toward him. A nasty smirk on her face. And her eyes and Harry's eyes were locked. "You killed Sirius," Harry said.

The powerful wizard Ron had seen earlier was gone. And now he saw the fifteen year old boy who'd lost the closest thing he'd had to parent. Don't lose your cool, Ron thought.

"I'll kill you too," she said.

"Bellatrix, that's my privilege." Voldemort said. Ron hadn't noticed him standing in a shadow behind a pile of rubble. Why hadn't he killed Harry already? Why was he just standing there watching all of them?

"Mortificus," the strong voice called from nowhere. Red sparks flew across the room and Bellatrix collapsed.

"Avada Kadavra," Voldemort shouted in the direction the sparks had come. It was uncertain if it had hit anyone.

A strong arm pulled Ron and Hermione on the ground. Around them formed a small dome of debris. Ron looked at Hermione and noticed the person who dragged them down was Harry.

Harry leaned against the pile of debris. He was breathing hard. But he had a purpose. Ron could see it in his eye.

"How did you get here?" Ron asked Harry.

"When the wall collapsed I grabbed Ginny and we fell. I'm sure it was planned that way. There was a sort of vortex we fell into and that brought us here." He took a deep breath. "That's not important. I have a plan. There's no way around it. If I die, Voldemort will die too. It's a bond he formed in us the first time he tried to kill me. It was sealed when he used my blood to get his body back. I have part of him in me. One cannot survive without the other. I have to let him kill me."

Ron shook his head violently. "No. There has to be another way. Harry, there has to be. What about me?"

"It's in the Prophesy. It's me. It has to be." And Harry pointed his wand at the cove and a hole appeared at the top. He exited the dome.

He was face to face with Voldemort.

Hermione gave a sob and crawled out behind him. Ron followed. Though he wasn't sure he wanted to see this. Of all they'd been through. Ron realized, now that it was too late, Harry was one of the most important people in his life. He felt a pain in his heart and a sting in his eyes. Harry was going to die for the better of the Wizarding world. And Ron hadn't been as good a friend as he could have been.

Before he could think anything else, Voldemort's wand was in the air, a smile of satisfaction lit his lips and he said, "Avada Kadavra".

As the words were leaving his mouth Ron tried to run to Harry, to push him out of the way. To take his place instead. But the green light from the wand shot to Harry, and it hit him.

Harry was unmoving and his eyes grew wide. The green light engulfed him. But then it turned blue and formed a bubble around him. It was obvious nobody knew what was going on. And before Voldemort could run, before he could even move, the blue bubble floated from Harry to him.

It was almost instantaneous. Voldemort let out a scream. His eyes grew and then the old body began to decay slowly. In a instant the rotting corpse of Voldemort melted. There was a flesh colored puddle on the ground. The Death Eaters bodies, all scattered on the floor, vanished to dust.

The blue bubble turned into a cloud and floated to the ceiling where it formed a portrait. A portrait of a woman with long red hair and vibrant green eyes, and a bespectacled man with untidy black hair. The portrait hung for a moment, then vanished.

The room was silent. Nobody breathed. Then there was a song. A beautiful song. A Phoenix song.

Fawkes appeared, hobbled to Ginny and cried on her head. And then a familiar voice said, "You've done it Harry."

Harry spun around looking for the source of the voice. "Dumbledore. Where are you?"

"You can not see me, Harry. For I am in a place that can't be seen by human eyes. But I can see you." The voice sounded distant but very calm. "Do you know what just happened?" Dumbledore asked. Harry shook his head. "When Voldemort tried to kill you just now every person in this room who was on your side wanted desperately to save you. Everyone in this room now would have gladly given their life for you. The Unforgivable Curses can only be effective if they have a sort of emotion behind them. They have to be said with hate, and fury and fear. Voldemort had each of those emotions in abundance. And when the negative energy from the curse hit the positive energy from this room of people who love you it changed. How did you feel when the blue bubble surrounded you?"

Harry looked as if he'd forgotten how to talk. His voice cracked, "I felt an overwhelming sense of comfort. That it would all be okay. It was like the bubble was an embrace."

Dumbledore's voice chuckled. "Indeed. The love that your friends feel for you filled that bubble, and when it went back to Voldemort it destroyed him. He is gone, Harry. He's gone for good."

It was almost too much to take. Harry broke down into sobs. Ron and Hermione surrounded him and put their arms around him.

"Remember, Harry. You have only gotten rid of Voldemort and his Death Eaters. You haven't gotten rid of all the evil in the Wizarding world." At these words Ron got a picture in his mind. A picture of a blonde boy with a pointed nose and violet eyes. Fawkes flew away. The Phoenix song faded, and Ron was sure Dumbledore had gone.

They were silent. What could you say after something like this? Then Ron noticed an arm sticking out of thin air. An arm with nothing around it. He walked to the arm and leaned down.

He realized now. The voice he'd heard earlier was coming from an Invisibilty Cloak. And Ron reached out past the arm and pulled the cloak off. And before him, lifeless and pale, was Neville.

Ron looked back at Harry and Hermione. Both had tears in their eyes. And his tears joined theirs.

"Ugh," a moan from across the room broke the silence.

"Ginny," Harry sighed. He was at her side so quickly Ron wondered if he Apparated there.

Harry took Ginny in his arms and kissed her. It surprised Ron; they'd never come out and said they were together. But it wasn't hard to figure out. And it felt right. Ron felt the only person in this world good enough for his sister was Harry Potter.

Ron looked at Hermione. Tears still in her eyes and a pained look on her face. And he walked slowly to her. In one movement she was in his arms. Her mouth was on his. And he knew he'd been given a second chance. He wouldn't blow this one. "Oh God. I love you, Hermione."

Her sobs increased and she threw her arms around his neck.

They had to find their way out of the dungeons. It felt like they'd walked for hours. The castle surely couldn't be this big.

Neville's body floated in front of them. His grandmother would be heartbroken. And it was the least Harry could do, to bring his body back and tell her that if it weren't for Neville they would all be dead.

A light shone from one of the thick walls and they spotted an opening. Ginny, being the smallest of the four of them, climbed through the opening and shifted the rocks a bit with a spell to widen it. This allowed the rest to get through, and they all helped pull Neville out.

The sight that met them made each of them gasp in horror. Hogwarts was gone. Only stone stood. It looked like a ruin Ron remembered seeing when they were in Egypt.

Bodies of students littered the ground. Some of them moaning in pain and moving slightly, but most motionless.

"Ron. Ginny." A figure moved toward them, arms open and stumbling from running.

"Mum," Ginny said. And ran toward her.

Molly threw her arms around all four of them. "You're all safe. Oh we were so worried. There's a party in there now searching for you." She pushed them back and looked at them closely. Then saw Neville's body and went pale.

"He saved us. He's the hero." Harry gently set the body on the ground and looked at it. Never again would Ron remember all the things Neville was bad at. From now on Neville Longbottom would go down in Wizarding history as a hero. Ron couldn't help but snicker at the pain this would bring Snape.

St. Mungos had set a tent up outside the grounds and it was heart wrenching to see all the bodies that were brought in, only to be told they were lifeless and taken back out.

Ron's fingers wrapped around a steaming mug of tea. "He said someone attacked the Death Eaters." Ron still couldn't say the name.

Molly put a soothing hand on her son's head. "It was the Ministry. They got some classified information about the whereabouts of Voldemort. They sent all their Aurors in, and all their Aurors died." She took her hand from Ron and placed it in her lap. "The Wizarding community is in an uproar. Said the Ministry shouldn't have acted so hastily. The Order knew ages ago where the Death Eaters headquarters were, but we knew better then to go charging in there. Anyway, Fudge has been overthrown. I reckon we'll have to form a new government." She sighed.

Ron took in the information, but wasn't really listening. His eye caught something sitting in the middle of the destroyed grounds that used to be Hogwarts. He stood up slowly and walked toward it, vaguely aware Hermione was behind him. He reached it and stopped.

It was a tall mirror, reaching almost to the ceiling. He'd seen it before when he was eleven. It was the Mirror of Erised. Gingerly, he stood in front of it, well aware of the danger of the mirror.

Ron saw himself as an older man. He looked almost identical to his father only taller and a bit thinner. Next to him was a beautiful middle aged woman with brown hair specked with gray. It was Hermione. And next to them were three children, two girls and a boy, all with violently red hair and round brown eyes. Ron smiled.

Hermione hadn't moved from the spot she was standing, just feet away. But she spoke softly. "What do you see?"

"The future," he said. He walked away from the mirror and put his arm around Hermione.

The End