Reflections

Chapter 1

RON

Ron Weasley sat, looking over the vast black lake, feeling the wind rush toward him. Hermione had fallen asleep near him, while poring over books. She lay slumped on the ground, her hair thrown over her face as she dozed fitfully, her head nodding against the parchment. Harry was still awake, over by the fire, staring into its flames. Ron had tried to talk to him, but Harry had simply shook his head and said, "I need to be alone right now, Ron." So here Ron was, looking into the depths of the swirling lake, so dark and vast he felt it would swallow him up.

The final battle between Harry and Voldemort was so near, he could taste it. They'd finally destroyed the final Horcrux. Harry just sat here now, as if steeling himself for the battle. The silence was deafening.

Ron looked back at Harry as if making sure he hadn't run off. He had known this day would come when Harry told them the prophecy. He just hadn't expected it to happen...so soon. What if Harry died? What if Voldemort didn't? The thought he might not see his best friend again was too much...

Ron looked across the lake again and in the sky, he saw his memories. A gangly red head clutching the rat that would someday resurrect Lord Voldemort, awed to be sitting across from the famous Harry Potter and annoyed by this bossy little girl who was telling him he had dirt on his nose. The three of them, him, Harry and Hermione, taking on the world, defeating their foes, saving the school...soon Harry wasn't "The Famous Harry Potter" anymore to him, but, "my best friend, Harry." But things changed as they always did, as they always will. The stupid little fights. To think he had been jealous of Harry...God, he had been stupid. No amount of fame was worth what Harry had been through. And of course, the fights with Hermione. The cat ate the rat and the rat came back... he'd been a git there too, but it was mostly a misunderstanding and the stubbornness of them both. But the Lavender thing...Oh, what an ass he'd been there. He'd never really liked Lavender that way...even after a week snogging her, he knew he'd made the wrong choice. Lavender was just such...a...well, girl. Not that Hermione wasn't, he definitely knew she was a girl...what a girl... But Lavender...she wasn't like Hermione at all. She was gossipy and giggly and she was always trying to look perfect, mess with her hair and all that. And she played dumb around him, just simpered and giggled and said "Oh, Ron, you're so smart." She didn't talk to him like a friend or point out when he was being a git...yes, he'd actually missed that...she...well, she wasn't Hermione. He'd hated that fight. Every minute of it. But he was too damn proud to make up. Of course, it had all cleared up after he'd been poisoned. He could remember it as one times he'd been absolutely, positively on the edge of death. He could remember the pain, then Harry shouting "RON!" then darkness, then a sort of light...and a floating feeling...then the last thing he's thought was, but, I need to make it up with Hermione! Then he'd woken up and Harry and Hermione were there and Harry said, "Good to see you, mate."

"What happened?" he'd asked.

"Oh, Ron," Hermione had said, and he was surprised to see tears in her eyes and even more surprised when she hugged him. "You were poisoned. Harry saved you by stuffing a bezoar down your throat."

"Oh," he'd said. "Thanks, Harry." But he hadn't been really paying attention. He was searching Hermione's eyes, wanting to know if this meant that they had made it up. Hermione had answered his question by smiling and saying, "Truce, Ron. Happy belated birthday." She threw a present at him. Ron had unwrapped it and smiled. It was a box of chocolate birds.

Ron reached out to Hermione now, tucking her hair behind her ear and running a gentle finger across her face. She smiled in her sleep, and then rolled over.

When Ron had heard the Prophecy, he hadn't been altogether surprised. It was like Harry said; it was as if they knew Harry would have to be the one to face him, in the end. But still, it had been scary, the thought that it was for sure, either his best friend killed Voldemort or Voldemort killed his best friend. And Ron had known, the instant Harry told him and Hermione the truth, that he was going to help Harry however he could.

So of course he and Hermione had gone with Harry to destroy the Horcruxes. They were his friends. They weren't going to let him do this alone. It had always been like that. It had always been Harry, Ron and Hermione, together forever. Against every foe. The Trio, as Ginny had so succinctly named them. And one thing he and Hermione had learned over the years was to completely disregard whatever Harry said, because he didn't know what was best for himself. How it had always been, how it always would be.

Destroying the Horcruxes had probably been the most harrowing experience of Ron's life and, seeing how many harrowing experiences Ron had encountered that was saying something. He'd done more growing up in this past year than all the years he'd known Harry and Hermione put together. He'd out things in perspective. He'd stopped saying so many cruel things. He'd started saying Voldemort instead of "You-Know-Who."

There had been many times when he'd though Harry or Hermione or he himself was going to die. Once, when trying to destroy a Horcrux, Harry had turned paper white and his pulse had actually stopped. Hermione had done Muggle CPR to Harry and had gotten Ron to look up a spell to resuscitate him in one of her books. Ron had found a Shock Spell that restarted hearts (only works four minutes after sudden death and only in certain instances WILL NOT WORK IF PATIENT HAS BEEN KILLED BY AVADA KEDAVRA etc. etc.) And Hermione had done it three times while Ron chanted "C'mon, Harry, fight! Fight! Fight!"

Harry had fought and after three Shock Spells, his heart had restarted. Later he would say, "I don't know why you two were so worried. The Prophecy says I can't die until I've killed Voldemort or Voldemort kills me, remember?"

But now it was the beginning of the end. The end of the beginning. Harry was going to want to go it alone, Ron knew it. He'd already sent Ginny back to Burrow. All the nights around the fire after a hard day of Horcrux hunting, all the mishaps, that was all over. Harry was going. So many times this year, Harry had almost been lost to them. But Ron, Hermione, and of course Ginny had managed to keep Harry from drawing into himself. To keep some of the old Harry around. But now, watching Harry stare at the fire as if it hypnotized him, Ron feared the old Harry was lost forever.

Suddenly, Harry stood up and cleared his throat. "Ron, could you wake up Hermione? I need to talk to you two."

Ron nodded and leaned over, kissing Hermione gently on the cheek. "Wake up," he whispered. "Harry's going to make his big speech."

Hermione sat up, yawning. "Well, let's hear it then," she said, letting Ron help her to her feet.

They walked over to the fire and sat down. Harry remained standing. The fire cast a sickly orange glow on him making him look unearthly.

"I know you two aren't going to like this," he said. "But now that all, the Horcruxes are destroyed, I have to go fight Voldemort. And you guys can't come."

"But..." Hermione began.

Harry interrupted her. "It's too dangerous. I really appreciate all the help you've given me this year, I could have never smashed the Horcruxes without your help. But I have to go this one alone. You know I do."

"No, we don't," Ron said stubbornly.

Harry sighed and dropped to his seat, "Don't you two understand? I can't lose you! You're all that's ever kept me going! After Dumbledore and Sirius, you two and Ginny were pretty much the only things I had left to live for!"

"Oh, Harry," Hermione said softly. "Don't say that-"

"It's true, and you know it. You've been like a brother and sister to me. You're the greatest friends anybody could ever ask for. That's why I'm not going to let you face Voldemort. That's my task. I might die, I know it. There's a very good chance. But if you two die and I don't, well, you know I wouldn't be able to take it. Ginny understands this. She left, when she wouldn't before. Why can't you?"

There was a silence. Then Hermione spoke again, "We want to help, Harry..."

"No, Hermione, don't. You two have already helped me so much." After a pause, Harry sighed and pulled out and envelope, "Here's my will. If I die, you two, Ginny and Hagrid get all my money, except for three hundred galleons each to Neville and Luna."

Ron felt the bottom drop out of his stomach. They all knew Harry might die, but the fact he had made up his will made it all so real.

"Harry-!" he and Hermione exclaimed together, but Harry plowed on.

"Ron, you get the Marauders Map, seeing as it was your brothers who gave it to me in the first place and my Firebolt, I know you really like it, but remember to share it with Ginny. Hermione, you get the Invisibility Cloak, you're the smallest, so it'll fit you best. Also, you get all my defense books and any other book you want of mine. Ginny can have the fake Horcrux locket; I've put something in it for her. She also gets the Sneakoscope." He handed the envelope to Hermione. "Anything else, any of you and Ginny can have. If you think anything's suited for Hagrid, Neville or Luna, feel free to give it to them."

Harry finished and Hermione and Ron stared at the envelope. Finally, Hermione said, "We're not accepting this, Harry."

"You have to!" Harry said forcefully. "You know-"

"You're not going to die, mate," Ron snapped. "And we're not going to sit here, reading your will as if you are!"

"You know I could die!" Harry snapped, pushing Hermione's hand away as she tried to give back the will. "Look..." he said softer. "Just...take it."

He swallowed hard and shut his eyes. "Like I said, you two are the best friends a guy could have. Thank you for...everything. Goodbye."

Harry started to walk away when Hermione reached up and pulled on his arm. He turned around. Hermione hugged him, tight. "Harry, you're the best friend anyone could have. We'll keep the will, but we won't need it."

"Yeah, mate," Ron said, getting up and hugging Harry as well, " You're my best mate. We know you can do it. And you'd better contact us as soon as you've finished him."

Harry smiled crookedly at them. "Thank you," he said softly. "And goodbye."

"See you soon," Ron and Hermione said together and Harry disappeared with a pop.

Wiping her eyes on the back her hand; Hermione turned to Ron and smiled. "You know, I think I have a pretty good idea where Harry's going."

"Follow him?" Ron asked.

"Definitely," Hermione said.

Ron grinned and slung his arm around Hermione. The three of them against the world, with Harry whatever happens. The Trio. That's how it had always been, and how it always would be.

And so, with a pop, they Disapparated.