Mnemosyne's Legacy

Chapter 4: The Long Kiss Goodnight

A tear rolled slowly down Ron's cheek, leaving a wet trail in its wake. Never before had he been able to remember that day so vividly. Another tear followed, tracing a new path down his face. He roughly wiped the tears away, refusing to give in to them anymore. He pulled himself back to his feet, although he didn't remember falling to the floor, and only managed to take one step before the rush of memories knocked him unwittingly to the ground once more. He curled protectively into foetal position, his hands over his head.

* * *

Ron climbed up the last few stairs at the end of the tunnel, Harry, Hermione and Ginny not far behind him. Reaching for the latch of the trapdoor above him, he paused for a moment, breathing in deeply as he gathered his courage. Gripping it tightly, he lifted the trapdoor a crack, peering tentatively into the gloom of Honeydukes' cellar. Hearing nothing, and seeing no sign of any shoes, he lifted it higher to get a better look around. The trapdoor squeaked, and he winced, freezing as his heart beat wildly. Straining his ears, he listened for any noise, trying to ignore the loud thumping of his heart. Silence. He lifted the trapdoor higher still.

'Well, well, well. What do we have here?' simpered a familiar voice. Ron stood stock still before slowly turning to face the watery, blue-eyed gaze of Wormtail accompanied by a small group of Death Eaters, their faces hidden in the depths of their robes.

'What's going on, Ron?' Ginny whispered apprehensively. 'Who's there?' Her words brought Ron to his senses.

'Run!' he yelled, yanking the trapdoor shut and turning towards them.

'What?' Harry asked in surprise.

'It's a trap!' Ron answered frantically, pushing them forward. They scrambled back down the stairs, running madly in the darkness of the tunnel, the light of their wands bobbing erratically with their movements. Behind them, Ron heard a loud bang as the trapdoor was thrown open.

'Get them!' Wormtail yelled at the horde of Death Eaters. Hearing this, they ran harder, refusing to give in to their legs' protests. Loud footsteps pounded in a syncopated rhythm behind them, heightening their fear and spurring them on. Up ahead he could almost make out the Hogwarts entrance of the tunnel.

'Stupefy!' yelled a hoarse voice. Ron blacked out.

* * *

'No more, please, no more,' Ron pleaded aloud. He already knew what was about to happen, and he couldn't endure any longer - not now, not ever. He crawled to his knees, fighting the downpour of memories, he tried to focus on an image of Hermione, but the vision changed abruptly from the bright, bubbly girl he had spent years fighting and arguing with and loving, to her lifeless body sprawled on the cold, stone floor of her cell. Falling to the floor once again, he clenched his teeth, hugging himself tightly as he rocked back and forth.

He closed his eyes against the image; he didn't want to remember her like that. He deliberately shut the horrible image of Hermione out of his head and concentrated on Harry. He gave a small smile. Harry his brave and loyal best friend. Harry, who had always been there for him. Harry. Ron stopped; his head jerking upwards. Wait - Harry is still here - in one of the dungeons! Ron stood up so quickly that his head swam. I can do something right! he thought frantically, his mind racing. Rushing out of the room, he headed determinedly towards the dungeons.

* * *

'Wha- what am I doing here? Why are we in the Great Hall? What's going on?' Ron asked groggily as he awoke. He sat propped up against a wall on the floor next to Hermione, his wrists and ankles bound together with rope, as were Hermione's. An extra length linked the wrists to the ankles, limiting their movement to a bare minimum.

'Shh!' Hermione hushed him, as the Death Eater towering over them moved towards Ginny and Harry, who lay unconscious beside them. Eyes widening in horror, Ron searched frantically for his wand, but couldn't find it anywhere. Stopping the search, he almost cried out as the Death Eater pointed his wand at Ginny.

'No, don't,' Hermione whispered urgently. Ron watched the Death Eater's wand, brutally aware of his helplessness.

'Enervate,' he heard the Death Eater mutter. Ginny stirred slightly, before opening her eyes. She tried to stifle a yawn with her hand, but couldn't reach, and trembled when she set her eyes on the Death Eater in front of her. Her eyes remained fixed on him as he aimed his wand at Harry, but he merely performed the same charm before walking back to the large group of Death Eaters gathered near the High Table as Harry stirred and awoke.

'What's going on?' Ron whispered to Hermione, once they were out of the Death Eater's earshot.

'They've taken over the school,' she breathed, her voice wavering.

'But Dumbledore... and the other teachers... they're not... they can't be...'

'Dead,' she finished, a vacant expression in her eyes. Ron leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes, stunned. He heard Hermione gasp suddenly and he opened them again. Voldemort and the Death Eaters were moving towards where they sat. Voldemort stopped, standing in front of Harry, grinning evilly.

'Harry Potter,' he said silkily, 'how nice of you to drop in. I hope you and your friends are comfortable.'

Harry shook in anger, but said nothing.

'Hmm... interesting.' Voldemort paced the space in front of them. 'I would have thought after our last meeting that you would have at least something to say to me.'

'What makes you think that?' Harry spat.

'Ah! The Boy-Who-Lived is now the Boy-Who-Finally-Speaks!' Voldemort smirked at his joke, and the Death Eaters behind him chuckled sycophantically.

'Don't quit your day job,' Harry replied brusquely. Voldemort glared at him, before fixing his gaze on Ron, Hermione and Ginny.

'Mudbloods and traitorous Purebloods. Interesting company you keep,' he purred, nodding at them. 'I would have thought you of all people to choose your friends with more care. I hear Master Malfoy personally asked you to become better acquainted with him numerous times.'

'I wouldn't even bother to poke Malfoy with a fifty-foot broomstick, let alone become his friend!'

Voldemort arched his eyebrow. 'Insults, mockery, rivalry... tut, tut. Is this what they teach you here, in this day and age, Mr. Potter?' he asked mockingly. 'It's a good thing, then, that I decided to 'refurbish' my old school when I did. I had such memorable times here...' he reflected thoughtfully. Noticing Harry's shocked reaction to his declaration, Voldemort continued. 'It will be much more efficient now without these insignificant and unworthy Mudbloods cluttering it up.' His gaze flickered to Hermione.

Ron couldn't stand it any longer, he felt a surge of courage envelope him. 'You leave her alone!' he yelled angrily. 'There's nothing wrong with being Muggle-born!' Hermione stared at him in horror, paling with fear at his outburst.

Voldemort's gaze wandered over to Ron, his crimson eyes narrowing dangerously. 'Do you have a problem, Ronald Weasley? I hear that your late father was also a Muggle-loving fool, much like you seem to be,' he sneered disdainfully.

Ron stared at him in shock. He heard Ginny let out a loud sob. 'You... you what?!' he yelled. A lump formed in the back of his throat. No, not Dad, it can't be, he prayed ferverently. No! Tears threatened to fall, but he choked them back. He didn't want to give Voldemort the satisfaction of seeing him cry. He sniffed bravely and tried to swallow, clenching his fists tightly.

Voldemort ignored Ron's outburst, surveying him with interest. Hermione noticed Voldemort's expression - it was similar to the one she displayed whenever she found an exciting new charm. It frightened her. She glanced uneasily from Voldemort to Ron.

Ron's shocked grief gave way to intense anger. 'You killed my father? You complete bastard!' He tried to stand, wobbling precariously on his bound feet. He was oblivious to Voldemort's examining stares, as he was roughly pushed back down by a Death Eater, whose long white-blonde hair escaped the depths of his hood.

'Let him alone, Lucius,' Voldemort ordered, not taking his eyes off Ron. 'I have seen something that I think I may find... useful.'

Ron stared up at him, puzzled; he had expected to have been killed already - Voldemort was not known for his mercy, after all. Glancing at Harry, Ron saw that he wore the same quizzical look on his face he was sure was plainly visible on his own. Voldemort gave Ron what he supposed was a smile. Ron felt sick.

'Release them,' Voldemort commanded suddenly. The four of them looked at him in suspicion, and then to one another in confusion. What the heck is going on? Ron thought worriedly. Something is definitely not right. As he stood up, rubbing his rope-burned wrists, the Death Eaters moved in closer to them, suddenly yanking Ron away from the others.

'Hey!' he cried out, frantically trying to get back to them.

'Ron! No!' Hermione cried, aghast, reaching out to him. She was held back by a Death Eater.

'What do you think you're doing?' Harry yelled at Voldemort. 'It's me you want, isn't it? Take me!' Voldemort ignored him.

During the confusion, Ginny was torn away from the group, much to Harry's horror. She tried to break herself free from her captors, kicking them fiercely, but to no avail. The Death Eaters held her as she gave in, crying in strangled sobs, tears streaming down her cheeks in wide rivulets. Harry and Hermione were easily restrained by the two Death Eaters, who held them back in vice-like grips.

Pinned between two other Death Eaters, Ron stood frozen in fear as Voldemort slowly walked around him, examining him carefully. 'Yes... yes... hmm...' he muttered. '... could be very useful indeed.' Ron held his breath as Voldemort stepped closer to him, and handed him back his wand. Without any warning, Voldemort lifted his own wand and aimed it at him. 'Imperio!'

Ron felt like he was floating. All his thoughts and worries were gently wiped away, as if his mind had suddenly become a clean slate. He felt vaguely happy. In the distance he heard a high-pitched yell of protest, but it grew weaker and weaker until it died away completely, only to be replaced by Voldemort's voice: Kill the Weasley girl... kill the Weasley girl...it commanded.

He looked at Ginny, standing in the arms of her Death Eater captors, and felt himself move towards her. Her eyes widened as she realised what was about to happen. 'No... no...' she breathed faintly not wanting to believe it.

Harry and Hermione yelled, struggling violently with their keepers, but it was no use; there was nothing they could do, but watch the scene before them in helpless horror.

He kept moving closer and closer to Ginny, his wand outstretched in front of him. Kill the Weasley girl... His mind was blank; all he heard were these words running continually through his head. He stopped right in front of Ginny's pale, frightened face, and stood there, his face set in a hard, unyielding expression.

'Ron... Ron, please...' she cried softly, her voice cracking. The look on Ron's face frightened her; this was not her brother. Not the one who used to play with her ain the backyard of the Burrow when their older brothers were away at Hogwarts. Or the one who had confided in her when he was too scared to ask Hermione out. A tear trickled down her already wet cheeks.

He lifted his wand and pointed it at her. 'Ron...' she pleaded weakly. 'Ron, please don't kill me...' Her voice died away - there was no recognition in his eyes. The tears rolled freely down her face. He opened his mouth.

'AVADA KEDAVRA!'

In an instant, bright green light emanated throughout the Hall. Ginny fell lifeless to the floor. There was a scream, and suddenly Hermione was at Ginny's side, leaving a Death Eater doubled-over in pain in her wake. Harry stood motionless, his arms pinned behind his back by his captor, his mouth open in disbelief as he stared at Ginny's limp body. A single tear streaked down his cheek, his glasses askew.

Ron felt the empty, echoing feeling in his mind disappear. He blinked and saw Voldemort smirk at him with malicious glee. In his confusion, he looked about wildly, stopping abruptly when he spotted his sister lying on the ground in front of him. He began to shake uncontrollably.

'NO!' he yelled, throwing himself down next to Ginny's still body. He sobbed wildly, pushing Hermione away when she tried to put her arms around him. Ginny lay there, dead, her dark red hair splayed out like a fan on the stone ground, her eyes open, staring at him with vacant horror and fear, the wet tears scarring her cheeks. He gently wiped them away, holding her, cradling her like a precious life-sized doll. He didn't want to let go. It seemed an age had passed when she was wrenched out of his grip.

'Ron!' He heard Hermione scream as she was being dragged away. 'Ron!'

'Hermione!' He tried to reach out for her, calling her name blindly over and over, but all he could see in front of him was Ginny pleading for her life. He passed out. That was the last time he remembered them.