The People We Are

A few months later

Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger went from Hogwarts feeling good. Ron had been Cho Chang's boyfriend for the few months since they had really talked that night. Ron and Hermione were friends again still fighting. Ron had set Seamus and Ginny up also. Hermione and Draco had become a couple the day after Ron and Hermione broke up. But even as Ron and Hermione were walking to the Hogwarts Express and saying goodbye to all their friends Dumbledore walked up to them.

"Congratulations," he said in his serene peaceful voice.

"Thanks Headmaster," they both said as Cho ran up to Ron.

"I have news concerning Harry being in Azkaban. I have been talking with Fudge and he has agreed to make it a year and a half. It has been about a year so he has maybe six months to go. I have asked Fudge that you two be allowed in to see him," Dumbledore said to them.

Ron looked at Cho. Her expression was one of concern and sadness.

"Hermione, what do you think? To Azkaban?" Ron asked Hermione with a slight smile.

Hermione looked at him and seemed to be scared, but who wouldn't going to Azkaban even knowing you wouldn't be there forever? "To Azkaban it is," Hermione whispered.

"Well then, follow me as we drive a flying car there. I've already talked to the Azkaban guards and they know you're coming," Cornelius Fudge said coming up behind them.

Cho kissed Ron and Hermione rolled her eyes. She hadn't taken to Cho well over the months. But she didn't have to now did she? Ron thought, she's the one who dumped me. They got into the greenish blue flying car and Fudge's own personal car driver flew them off towards the Azkaban prison. Ron blamed Fudge for sending Harry to Azkaban but Hermione had always told him not say anything. But now he wasn't going to listen to her.

"Why did you send him there anyways? He did you a favor catching Peter Pettigrew!" Ron said angrily, leaning forward in his seat, which was in the back while Fudge sat in the front.

"He did an illegal curse and I couldn't let him go unpunished. If I had let him go unpunished people would question why I did it. They would think because Harry is famous that I did it," Fudge explained in a boring tone.

"He never asked to be famous! You would just love to show everyone how bad Harry looked now wouldn't you? But it's probably been on the first page of the Daily Prophet huh? You probably made it sound like the Ministry caught Peter all by themselves," Ron continued, letting every piece of anger he'd ever felt come out now.

"Be careful Ron, you never know where your tongue could get you. It could get you in trouble with the Ministry. I you make me mad I may say you did something else. I may fire your father. Who knows perhaps something worse," Fudge said threateningly, looking back at Ron.

Ron leaned back in his seat in anger. He said nothing else in case Fudge was serious. Hermione punched him in the arm. Ron grabbed his arm and looked at Hermione questioningly. She just rolled her eyes and looked out the backseat window. He's a bloody Death Eater. When I get back to Grimmauld Place I'll tell them. Then they'll have to listen to me because I've already been in the Order for about a year, Ron thought glaring at Fudge. A half hour later they arrived there. When they came in sight of the prison Ron shuddered at the black walls and the clouds that seemed to cling to the place. These people knew no happiness. Before Harry had come here he'd only had few memories of happiness. Ron couldn't imagine how Harry had been one month into this place.

* * *

Harry Potter, a prisoner in Azkaban, sat in his cell staring at everything with a black expression. No happiness in this place did he find. He only had the same memories he'd used for these months. Harry thought his time in here had been about two years, but really it had only been about nine months or so. His cell walls were black and gray, and he had nothing in his cell that could be used as a weapon. Not that a weapon besides his wand could the dementors. No the reason why there was nothing that could be used as a weapon was so that he didn't take his own life. But Harry had never thought that before. He wouldn't stoop to that. There were a few minutes of staring at the walls and then two people appeared before him. One had red hair and the other brown hair. The girl looked mature and smart, her beautiful features also giving her beauty with brains. The boy looked older and he was mature now. He was a handsome boy and Harry took them to be a couple. Then he remembered the two people who had kept him alive in this place. How could he have not recognized them?

"I never thought you'd visit," Harry said lazily, trying to find his voice since he hadn't used it for a while except in his nightmares.

"Oh Harry we should've-"Hermione began.

"But we were rather caught up in our own . . . problems," Ron interrupted.

"Yes but that shouldn't have stopped us. We're so sorry Harry," Hermione said, right after Ron.

"You're just as I remember you Hermione. Never wanting to hurt anyone's feelings, especially mine. But with your beauty anybody could forgive you," Harry said.

Ron cleared his throat. He was getting annoyed that Harry was saying something about his girlf- , his friend. Ron had no right to be annoyed since he was going out with the girl Harry might've actually had a chance with.

"What problems have you been having?" Harry asked them, standing up.

He was about the saem height as Ron and inches taller than Hermione. Ron and Hermione both looked at each other. 'Well, uh, you'll remember when you . . . left . . . Hermione and I were a couple. Well she dumped me so she could snog Draco Malfoy without guilt," Ron said.

"For your information I am only going out with Draco because . . .," Hermione trailed off.

Ron cupped his hand to his ear. "This place wigs me out," Ron said, suddenly shivering.

"You two were so happy. The thing that kept me alive in here was the image of you two together," Harry said, his eyes suddenly going this way and that.

"Tell him who your-," Hermione stopped realizing she shouldn't make Harry even more unhappy," Tell him how happy Ginny is."

Ron looked at her and realized what she was on about. "She's real happy. That git dumped her near the lake . . . literally. But you should thank Hermione for doing that."

Harry looked at them with a smile. "Ginny. I remember her fiery red hair. Her beautiful eyes always seemed to see past you, into you. I suppose you've come to get me out of here then."

"Actually Dumbledore only got Fudge to agree to a year and a half. You have about six months to go," Ron said with a look of guilt.

Harry lay down on the floor on a blanket. "Six more months," he breathed quietly.

"Harry we should go. Fudge could only get us in here for so long," Hermione said suddenly getting spooked out and pulling on Ron's arm slightly.

As Ron started to leave, he pulled a small picture of him, Hermione and Ginny out of his pocket. He handed it through to Harry. "Take care mate," Ron said and then followed Hermione out of that horrible place. Harry watched them go and then looked at the small picture. The three were waving at him happily. Harry smiled for one of the first times he'd smiled since being in this dreaded place. Maybe this and a few more happy memories he had of them all would help him through these six months.