Seo Gerecednis

Ron was astonished to see a large crowd already gathered near Charlie's hut as he and Harry came out of the castle. Someone -- Charlie, he presumed -- had erected a paddock between the barn and the hut. Two figures on what appeared to be horseback were inside the paddock, trotting back and forth before the onlookers.

"You don't reckon those are centaurs down there, d'you?" Ron asked Harry.

Harry squinted as he peered into the distance. "Nah. No centaur would sink so low that."

"Right. Well, let's go see who it is that's attracting so much attention." Ron lengthened his stride to get there faster, vaguely aware as he did so that Harry had to break into a jog to keep up. As he neared the crowd, he was even more astonished to realize that it consisted almost entirely of girls. He spotted Charlie talking to Tonks and headed for them.

"Wotcher Ron, Harry," Tonks said, turning to them with a cheerful grin. "I see Professor Shacklebolt didn't do you in today."

"Wasn't for lack of trying," Harry said. He came up beside her and climbed on the bottommost rail so he could see over the top. "What's going on?"

Charlie, seated on the topmost rail with his booted feet propped on the next one down, gestured toward the two riders. "Ace and Bogdo are exercising their horses."

Ron crossed his arms over the top rail and rested his chin on them. "Why all the girls then?"

"Are you joking?" Tonks asked as they watched Ace and his mount execute what Ron could only describe as a dance step. "It's a proven fact that girls fancy blokes on horses. Isn't that right, Ginny?"

Ron looked over his shoulder to see his sister and a gaggle of her friends -- Luna Lovegood included, wandering behind them with her attention so intent on the sky above her Ron wondered she didn't step into a hole and fall -- walking down the hill toward them. "Sorry?" Ginny asked as she came up beside them.

"You're not going to fancy some bloke just because he can ride a horse," Ron said with a snort.

"Says who?" she asked. "I'll fancy whomever I please, thank you very much."

"Who put the twist in your knickers?" Charlie asked, his eyebrows raised.

"Nothing but a lot of overprotective big brothers telling me who I can and can't fancy."

"I haven't said anything," Charlie said with a pout.

"Only 'cause you haven't had the chance to yet." She moved further down the fence to stand next to Luna.

"Blimey," Charlie said. "What'd you lot do to her?"

"What d'you mean?" Ron asked, bristling.

"She used to be so sweet-tempered."

Ron guffawed. "Ginny? Our sister?" Charlie looked down his nose at him. "You've been working with dragons for too long. I'll take a Hungarian Horntail over her any day."

He heard Harry let out a short bark of laughter and glanced over at him. Harry's face was slightly off-color and he was rubbing at his temple. "You okay?" Ron asked.

Harry didn't look at him but nodded slowly. "I'm a bit tired, is all. It's been a long day."

"You got that right." He turned his attention back to the paddock and the two boys riding around inside. A post stood in the center of the ring and Bogdo was taking aim with a bow and arrow at a small melon set atop the post. Ace had guided his horse over to where Ginny and her friends were draped over the fence, cooing and giggling like fools as they reached out to pat the enormous black beast. Ron thought it must have at least some Abraxan blood in it to be that big.

"Would you look at that," Tonks murmured, her voice nearly drowned out by a burst of applause.

Ron turned away from watching Ace flirt with Ginny's friends to see Bogdo clinging to his horse, a mere pony in size compared to Ace's, with only his legs as it galloped around the post and he launched arrow after arrow at the melon, never once missing.

"Mongolians learn to ride before they're even walking," Charlie said. "Most of them are nomads and spend most of their lives on horseback. Bogdo's not a nomad, he was raised in a monastery, but he's as bowlegged as any of them."

"What about Ace?" Harry asked, his voice unnaturally low-pitched. Ron cast another worried glance at him; Harry looked as though he'd eaten something that violently disagreed with him. "Unless he's an Indian, I doubt his family were nomads."

Charlie grinned. "I don't reckon even Indians live like that anymore," he said. He whistled sharply. "Ace! Show my brother and his friend what you can do."

The boy doffed his hat at the girls who'd congregated near him. Then he guided his horse toward the center post, slapping palms with Bogdo as they passed each other. The Mongolian boy rode over to stand by the fence -- away from most of the girls, Ron saw with amusement.

He watched with disinterest as Ace urged his horse into a faster gait around the paddock. Nonetheless, he had to admit the effect was impressive; he swore he could feel the horse's enormous hooves shaking the ground beneath his feet, and its tail, which brushed the ground when it was still, streamed behind it like the tail on a comet. As horse and rider swept past Ron thought he could see his reflection in the animal's glossy black coat. He couldn't deny the fact that it was a magnificent-looking animal in or out of motion, and he'd definitely be having a chat with Ace at the first good opportunity about trying out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

If only the girls would quit acting that way, Ron grumbled. Hermione certainly wouldn't stoop to draping herself over the fence and cheer and squeal with delight every time Ace and his horse rode past; why couldn't more girls be as sensible as she? Ginny was the worst, acting as though the git had his own Chocolate Frog card!

Ron had distracted himself so thoroughly with grousing about the madness of girls, his sister in particular, it took a burst of applause and a high-pitched squeal to bring him back to the present. Ace, who Ron now realized had been riding bareback all along, now stood on the horse's hindquarters as it loped around the paddock, his arms extended out to either side. "Blimey," Ron said, unable to help himself.

"This is nothing," Charlie said. "Just watch."

Ron did just watch, because he'd never seen anything like it. The boy could do flips, handstands, even wrap himself around the horse's girth and between its legs, all without slipping or the horse breaking its stride.

"Where'd he learn to do that?" Harry asked.

Charlie chuckled. "The circus."

"The circus?" Ron was astonished. "As in trapeze artists and clowns and lion tamers?"

"And stunt riders," Charlie added with a nod. "His family have been circus riders for generations."

"I thought he was Muggle-born," Ron said.

Charlie's nose wrinkled as he gave Ron a puzzled look. "He is."

"So...how does he do that?"

"He's been training all his life, Ron. How else would he?"

"He doesn't need magic? A levitating charm, for example?" Ace now lay with his belly across the horse's broad back, his arms and legs akimbo as though he were flying.

Charlie shrugged. "He uses magic for more complicated stunts, but since he performs with a Muggle circus he can't do but so much."

"Blimey." He turned to Harry, intending to tell him that they needed to make sure Ace made it on the team no matter what, but Harry had just fallen back off the fence and was bent double, clutching at his head. "Harry?"

An inhuman shriek ripped through the air. Ron whipped his head around just in time to see Bogdo's horse rear up on its hind legs and lash out with its sharp front hooves. It screamed again and Bogdo had his wand out, training it in the direction of the Forbidden Forest. Another scream, human this time, echoed the horse, and then the girls scattered in all directions.

A moan from behind him brought Ron back to his more immediate concern. He dropped to his knees beside Harry. Ginny and Tonks were right there beside him, reaching out to Harry, offering him support and comfort.

"Talk to me, Harry," Tonks coaxed. "Is it You-Know-Who?"

Harry gasped and gave a curt nod. "He-He's in the F-For --" His voice caught in his throat and died.

"Bogdo, no!" Charlie cried out. There was a thunder of hooves then a whoosh of wind and Ron looked up as Bogdo's horse sailed over the fence and galloped towards the Forbidden Forest. "Bloody hell!" Charlie leaped down from the fence and took off after them, his wand clutched in his hand.

"Damn!" Tonks jumped to her feet and raced after them, leaving Ron and Ginny to attend to Harry, who was now writhing on the ground, tears streaming from his tightly-shut eyes, keening in agony.

A flash of blonde appeared in the periphery of Ron's vision. He turned to see Luna kneeling beside him. "We should get him inside," she said calmly.

"Can I help?" someone asked. Ron saw Susan Bones hovering nearby, her eyes wide with alarm. "Should I fetch one of the professors?"

"No," Ron said. "I've got it."

He grabbed Harry's arm, about to hoist him over his shoulder, when a masculine shout froze him. There was another thunder of hooves and Ron looked up just in time to see the belly of Ace's horse soar over his head. The ground trembled when it landed and turned back toward him.

"Give 'im here," Ace said, leaning forward with his arm outstretched. "I can get there faster."

Ron hesitated, dubious about trusting Harry with this boy he didn't know at all. But Ace was right: he could get Harry to the castle more than twice as fast as Ron could. He heaved Harry across the horse's back. "If anything happens --" he said.

"I'll take him straight to the infirmary," Ace said, then, clucking to his horse, wheeled it around and galloped up the hill.

"Right, then," Ron said. "Ginny, go to the infirmary. Madame Pomfrey needs to know that You-Know-Who's attacked Harry. Tell her about what happened this summer." Ginny nodded, then ran for the castle. Ron then turned to Luna. "I need you to find McGonagall. Tell her everything that happened."

"Including about Professor Weasley and Professor Tonks running into the Forbidden Forest?"

The reference to his brother as a professor startled Ron for a brief moment, but he quickly recovered. "Especially about that. If You-Know-Who's hiding out this close to Hogwarts, she'll need to know."

He looked at Susan now. "I need you to find Peter...er --" He stumbled over Peter's name. "Peter Mad. He's the exchange student from Kenya in your house. D'you know who I mean?" Susan nodded. "Brilliant. When you find him, bring him directly to the infirmary. He may be able to help Harry."

"What about you?" Susan asked. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to find Dumbledore," he said. "He needs to know that You-Know-Who was on the Hogwarts grounds."

~~~~~ <<<<< >>>>> ~~~~~

Ron felt as though his lungs were about to burst when he threw open the castle doors and skidded across the slick stone floor of the entrance hall. He reckoned the most likely place to find Dumbledore would be in his office, but the last time he'd been there he'd gone from Gryffindor Tower, and he wasn't certain how to find it from here. He vaguely recalled having had the sense of it being near the North Tower, and so vaulted up the steps three at a time and took a sharp turn to the left at the first landing. Behind him he heard Susan turn the opposite way, towards Hufflepuff's common room, but Luna remained not far behind him. He slowed his pace to give her an opportunity to catch up. They hurried together through the eerily empty corridors until they came to a fork.

"Faculty lounge is that way," Ron huffed, pointing to the left.

"Right," said. She bent over, her hands pressed against her knees, and blew heavily.

"All right?"

She waved him off. "I'll be fine. You just get to Professor Dumbledore."

He nodded and resumed his sprint down the corridor that led away from her. He desperately wished he had Harry's map, but it occurred to him he might waste just as much time fetching it as he did looking for Dumbledore's office and pressed on.

As he raced through the corridors several of the portraits shouted out words of encouragement or admonition to him. A rather gruesome-looking image of a man being suspended over a vat of boiling tar cried, "Faster, boy, faster! Don't let them catch you or you'll suffer the same fate as me!" Ron made a face and increased his speed.

Just ahead he saw shadows moving and heard voices. Hoping it might be someone who could point him in the right direction he careened around a corner and nearly collided with one of the exchange students, her hair and robes dripping with something gelatinous and slimy Peeves had just thrown at her. Though he couldn't understand a word she was saying, Ron could tell from the tone of her voice she was swearing a blue streak. Peeves just hung upside down, holding his toes and cackling.

"Ruddy nuisance," Ron muttered.

Peeves stopped laughing and gave him a malevolent glare. "Oh, looky here what Peeves has found. It's the Weasel King!" He righted himself, pressed a finger alongside his nose, and blew out through his nostril. An enormous greenish-yellow bogey hit Ron smack in the face with a revolting splat.

"Urgh!" Ron staggered backwards, frantically wiping the snot out of his eyes and mouth. "Bugger all!" He fished in his robes for his wand and pointed it in the general direction of Peeves' high-pitched laughter, unable to see clearly through the mucus dripping down his face. Peeves simply laughed louder and chanted a rather scatalogical verse of "Weasley Is Our King."

"I haven't got time for this!" Ron snarled, pivoting around, trying to follow the sound of Peeves' voice. "You-Know-Who just attacked Harry, and I've got to find Dumbledore!" He didn't dare turn his back on Peeves, knowing the poltergeist would probably set his bum on fire.

"Do you know a spell to get rid of him?" the girl asked in a richly accented voice.

"I might know one, but I can't see him well enough to cast it."

"A little higher and to your right," she said in a low voice. Ron squinted painfully and did as she instructed. The mucus was beginning to burn. "Now," she said.

"Vespertiliones mucorum!" He heard the hex impact against the stone wall behind Peeves as the poltergeist whirled out of harm's way just in time. "Bugger!" The girl had heard the spell he'd used, however, and was now chasing after Peeves, furiously hurling hex after hex at him. Ron swore again and followed the sound of her voice as best he could with his impaired vision; she was his only hope of finding Dumbledore's office at this point and he knew Peeves could inflict serious harm if pushed too far or cornered.

As he stumbled through the corridors after the girl, groping at the cold, damp walls with his free hand, he fretted about Harry. Why hadn't Peter's Patronus helped? How had You-Know-Who managed to gain access to Harry's mind while he was awake? Was it true that You-Know-Who was lying in wait in the Forbidden Forest for Harry?

The last frightened Ron more than anything. He'd always felt safe from You-Know-Who while at Hogwarts, though he supposed he was no more safe from harm here than he had been at Grimmauld Place. After all, You-Know-Who had managed to penetrate the grounds before through subterfuge or camouflage. And now that he was gaining strength and followers, there was the added risk that some of the students might be persuaded to help him find a way in. Ron's thoughts turned immediately to Draco Malfoy. Surely he wouldn't --? Yes, he would, Hermione's voice reasoned in Ron's head. With his dad in Azkaban, Draco had more than ample justification to want to take revenge on Harry. Then there was Snape, who, despite Hermione's dogged faith in his loyalty to Dumbledore, Ron just couldn't quite bring himself to trust. As head of Slytherin House and a supposed former Death Eater, he was well-positioned to help You-Know-Who wreak whatever havoc he could.

Ron shuddered and increased his pace. He had to find Dumbledore and warn him of the imminent threat You-Know-Who now posed to everyone at Hogwarts.

The sound of music slowed him. He couldn't even be certain it was music, though he didn't know what else to call it. It was rather low-pitched and mournful, like the Weird Sisters in one of their contemplative moods. It sounded like loneliness brought to life. Ron made one more attempt to wipe the remnants of Peeves' disgusting prank from his eyes and headed for the sound.

In the dim circle of light thrown out by a sconce he came upon the strangest sight. The girl he'd met a few minutes earlier was there, as was a shortish stout witch with a broad, flat face accented by high cheekbones, her gray hair pulled back in a braid that hung nearly to her waist. Ron thought he'd seen her eating lunch at the staff table earlier that day. The instrument she was playing, the apparent source of the music that had brought him here, was one Ron had never seen before. However, its sound seemed to have Peeves trapped in its thrall. The poltergeist hovered at the same level as the witch's instrument, a dazed and dreamy look across his face.

"What the --?" Ron began, but the girl turned and silenced him with a finger to her lips. His wand held loosely in his hand, he sidled up beside her and whispered, "What is she doing?"

She looked at him with an arched eyebrow and a suggestive smile. "What does it look like?"

Ron had the decency to blush; Peeves' rapturous expression was rather suggestive of the effect the music had on him. "Urgh," he murmured, making a face. "Thanks for that." The girl laughed behind her hand. "D'you know what that is?" he asked, gesturing toward the instrument.

She shook her head. "A guitar, perhaps, but not like any I have seen."

"It's a dobro," the older witch answered in a soft, drawling burr. "I've found it right handy at taming rambunctious haints before." When she pointed at Peeves, Ron was astonished to see that he had curled up in mid-air and gone to sleep.

"That's brilliant!" he exclaimed, then clapped his hand over his mouth for fear of waking Peeves.

The witch gave a short dry laugh. "Ain't no harm done," she said, slinging the instrument behind her back. "He won't wake up for hours, and when he does he won't remember a thing."

Remembering his original mission with a flood of guilt, Ron hurriedly asked, "D'you know where Dumbledore's office is? I need to find him right away."

"I do," the witch said, "but you'll find him right quicker if you come with me. He done heard what happened to your friend and sent me to fetch you."

"Is Harry okay?" Ron asked. "Is he awake? Was Peter able to help him? Does Dum --"

The witch silenced him with a wave of her hand. "Come with me, both of you young'ens," she said. "T'ain't safe to be wanderin' the halls with You-Know-Who out strollopin'."

She set a brisk pace through the corridors even by Ron's long-legged standards. As she did so, she tossed an introduction over her shoulder. "Pruitt Tolliver. I'll be doin' your Herbology schoolin' this year."

"Ron Weasley," he said, short of breath.

"Polydora Thalassa," the girl said.

"Ah," Tolliver said. "Yia sou."

"Yia sas," Polydora said, a hint of pleasure in her voice.

Ron looked at her as though she were speaking Greek. Shrugging it off, he asked Tolliver, "Does Dumbledore know about You-Know-Who?"

"I am sorry," Polydora said before she could respond, "but who is this 'You Know Who' you speak of with such fear?"

"Lord Voldemort," Tolliver explained, relieving Ron of having to speak his name.

The girl gave a gasp of recognition. "He is here? At Hogwarts?"

"Harry managed to tell me he was in the Forbidden Forest," Ron said.

"That ain't all," Tolliver said.

Ron felt the throbbing of cold fear deep in his bones. "What happened?" he asked hoarsely.

"Professor Dumbledore will explain in good time."

Hardly reassuring words, Ron thought as he followed Tolliver through a door hidden behind a portrait of an ancient wizard in Oriental dress and then up a winding flight of stairs. At the top she took a turn to duck through a low-ceilinged passageway. Ron had to bend nearly double to pass through but when he straightened he saw they were standing before the entrance to the infirmary. The door was open and he saw Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape deep in conference.

"Professor!" he cried, rushing in. He tried not to stare at the curtained-off area at the back of the ward where he presumed Madame Pomfrey was attending to Harry. "Professor, You-Know-Who's in the Forbidden Forest!"

Snape, who had his back to Ron, turned and sneered down his nose at him. "Mind your manners, Weasley."

"It's all right, Severus," Dumbledore said. "I am aware of Voldemort's recent activity, Mr. Weasley. What you cannot know, however, is that his attack was not just against Harry." He looked over Ron's shoulder. "Pruitt, I'm glad you're back. Madame Pomfrey requires your assistance."

Ron glanced behind him to see Tolliver brush past and go behind the curtain that shielded Harry from view, then turned back to Dumbledore. "What d'you mean, he didn't just attack Harry? What happened?"

"Perhaps if you had bothered to look up as you were running away, you would know," Snape said. He strode to a nearby window and yanked the heavy draperies open.

Ron nearly bit his tongue in half. He didn't have to go any closer to see what Dumbledore and Snape meant: the sickly green image of the Dark Mark that hovered over Hogsmeade, and the plumes of smoke and flames he saw rising up from the rooftops, told him everything he needed to know. "Bloody hell," he murmured, feeling his insides shrivel in fear. His only consolation was that Hermione was very far away.

"Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said, but he could tell from the sound of her voice she wasn't truly upset with him for swearing.

"Wait!" Ron exclaimed in horrified realization. "My brother and Tonks are out there!" He made to go, but McGonagall's firm grip on his arm stayed him.

"You can rest assured everyone is safe and accounted for," Dumbledore said. "Your brother and Professor Tonks found Bogdo and everyone made it back within the inner wards in time."

"V-He can't get inside the castle, can he?" Ron asked.

"Does it matter?" Snape snapped. "He's got us all trapped here, what more do you want?"

"Severus, please," Dumbledore said. "Let's not frighten the students any more than necessary." He sighed before addressing Ron. "Mr. Weasley, I can personally assure you that Hogwarts' wards are the most secure in Britain. You are more safe here than you would be anywhere else. In any event, I do not think Voldemort will attempt an open assault on the school, nor do I believe that is his intention in undertaking this siege."

"What is his intention?" Polydora asked.

Ron had forgotten she was even there. He turned to her and said harshly, "Harry. Harry is his intention. He wants Harry, and he's not going to stop until he's succeeded."

"Is this true?" Polydora asked.

Ron was about to reply when he spotted Professor Tolliver come out from behind the curtain. "Mr. Weasley, if you'd come here, please," she said. "I need your help."

His shoes felt as though they'd been filled with heavy stones as he trudged over to where she stood waiting. Behind her he saw Harry's pale form lying on the cot, obviously unconscious, and Madame Pomfrey, Peter, Ginny, Luna and Susan gathered around him. "What's going on here?" he asked, directing his attention to Peter. "Why hasn't your Patronus brought Harry back?"

Peter shook his head sadly. "I do not know why. Perhaps the Evil One's presence was too strong."

Ron spluttered, but Tolliver cut him off. "Peter done the best he could. Now it's time for you to try."

"Me? But-I-I can't do what Peter did!"

"You won't need to." She took his hand and guided him to a chair set beside Harry's bed. From this distance Harry's scar looked luridly purple. Ron barely suppressed a shiver at the sight of it. Tolliver took Ron's hand and placed it on Harry's chest, just over his heart. "If y'all will set your hands over Mr. Weasley's?" she then asked the other students standing around.

Ron felt Ginny's warm, dry palm come to rest on his hand and crooked his pinky just enough to let her fingers slip beneath, then gave a gentle squeeze. She responded with a wan smile and nudged him back. "He'll be okay," he mouthed.

She nodded. "I know," she mouthed back.

"Now y'all don't be askeered," Tolliver said once everyone had placed their hands on top of Ron's, "I'm gon' to use a spell you probably ain't never seen before. What I want you young'ens to do is to think on how much you love Harry."

Ron quirked an eyebrow at Ginny, who simply shrugged before closing her eyes tightly and pursing her lips in concentration. Ron followed suit, thinking that even if it didn't help, it certainly couldn't hurt.

He felt a new weight on his hand and guessed Tolliver had placed her hand on top of the others. Then, as he concentrated on his friendship with Harry and how much it had come to mean to him, he heard her utter an incantation in a voice too soft for him to make out the words.

To his surprise he felt his hand start to tingle. His eyes shot open. Had anyone else felt that? The sensation, like warm butterbeer on a cold winter's day, spread up his arm and down through his fingers. As he looked around at the others, though, he saw they were all intently focused on helping Harry. Tolliver had both hands pressed over all of theirs and was muttering so rapidly her mouth hardly moved.

The tingling had now reached his shoulder and was spreading into his upper chest. He was alarmed, but feared the repercussions of interrupting this spell that had everyone so deeply in its thrall. Then he sensed stirring and looked across to see Luna's eyes open and staring at him yet not seeing him, her pale irises glazed and unfocused. A moment later her lids lowered and a beatific smile drifted across her face.

Ron felt his mouth curve upwards in the same odd smile and his eyes slowly shut as though he were about to fall asleep. The tingling sensation now filled his entire chest and he felt a strange sense of well-being. Memories of the past five years flooded his mind; as though he were suspended in space he felt himself floating towards the best memories -- meeting Harry on the Hogwarts Express for the first time, playing wizard's chess and Exploding Snap on holiday, Quidditch matches during the summer, moments of joy and laughter interspersed with moments of quiet camaraderie. The tingling had reached his toes by now and his smile had become a broad grin.

Then Dumbledore's voice broke the spell. "Ah, Harry, I'm so glad to see you're awake now."