HPNS - Chapters 4,5 & 6

Wotcher guys! Babbitty is Back with a Filibuster Bang!!! n there's loads more masala to lose yourself in this time!! Sincerest apologies for my long absence during this period of turmoil where I see that all of you have been quite busy, posting great stuff. And so in compensation, I present a Package of 3 fully-loaded chapters of the Necessary Sequel that I've been dying to post (and hopefully will be read in the same fashion). So enjoys and lose yourself in this Alternate Universe of HP mazaa!!

Read Chapter 3: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them here or start at the beginning

CHAPTER 4 - 'BURROW'ING

“Harry! How can you stop to think with all this food here? Its bin ages since you had a decent meal, buddy. Dig in!” Fred Weasley exclaimed.

Harry broke out his reverie and was passed a bowl of stuffed bell-peppers across the table.

“Mm? Thanks Fred… I’m okay”

He looked to his left to see Ron and Hermione deep in conversation, they’re heads bent low on the plates. Harry wondered if they were talking about him, or about the little escapade they had had just a week ago regarding the horcrux…

But then he saw Hermione break off laughing and knew that it was just one of Ron’s light comments.

A week back, Harry wouldn’t have believed such a reunion dinner possible. His wand had been held not to pour wine into his goblet, but to siphon blood from his best friend’s body. The cup of Hufflepuff was retrieved and added to Harry’s mounting possessions… all of which reminded him of incidents he wanted to forget.

Ron and Hermione had spent the last week at St. Mungo’s recovering from respective ailments. Ron had been injured with a broken rib and leg, while Hermione had been victim to a host of burns, scratches and bites that a ‘muggle’ certainly wouldn’t have survived… but she looked much better since then.

Harry tried to leave the thought behind, and enter one of the many conversations that were going on at the Weasley’s dinner table. Fred, George and Ginny being the closest, he tried to hear what was being discussed.

“…and after all the booming shares we’ve managed of late, we’ve decided to make it abroad, you know. We were thinking of Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes hitting the ports of Singapore!” George was saying enthusiastically, waving his wine-goblet.

“I don’t see how that can be successful… most of these foreigners have absolutely no sense of humor” Ginny muttered darkly, nodding towards Fleur Delacour-Weasley at the edge of the table.

Harry looked towards Fleur, who was flailing her hands in indignation at a tiny baby boy sitting in her lap.

“Philippe! Why can’t yew behave good? Zis boy is seemply too naughty, just like ees father! Now yew made mess all over my new peenafore!”

The baby merely gazed up at her with its watery blue eyes and giggled. It threw up more of its milk and the bowl in his mother’s hand exploded, angry shards flying everywhere.

“Here honey, give him here” Bill Weasley kindly intercepted.

Lifting the infant in the air, Bill shook him a little, “Mum’s right Pip. Food stays in mouth and goes into that little belly, savvy?” he reasoned with his six- month old son.

Pip chuckled again in mid- air.

The next thing, everyone was laughing at Bill’s face covered with his son’s vomit. Pip had also managed to grow his own blonde hair to his father’s length, complete with a ponytail.

“Definitely my favorite nephew!” screamed Fred laughing, while Ginny swayed on her chair wildly and fell to the floor.

“Seriously, if I EVER get married, someone remind me never to have kids”, Ron cried, wiping his eyes from laughing.

Everything was just the way it should have been…

Harry couldn’t imagine a happier evening. He was with the people he loved most; the family that loved him as a son. He smiled vaguely to himself, understanding that it was impossible to alienate himself from these people. No matter how hard he tried to run away or hide, they always came back for him, to help him, to protect him…

“Harry, have you destroyed it- the cup?” Hermione asked leaning closer.

“Not yet. It needs some examination and I’m not sure how Dumbledore destroyed the ring. So it goes right next to the locket” Harry replied.

Hermione offered him a glass of oak-matured mead and said “I’m working on it. But seeing that Hogwarts is almost out of bounds with the Giants right outside the main entrance, I haven’t had any access to a library for research on how-to-destroy-them”

“I suppose it was a lot better with the dementors circling the castle in our third year”, Harry took a gulp from his goblet sullenly.

“Don’t drink that stuff mate; remember what happened to me last time? Try this…” Ron passed him a bottle from under the table, brushing Hermione’s leg as she sat between them.

“Ogden’s Olde Fire whisky?”

“Yep, Fred got it for the table but Mum didn’t allow it. Go on have a sip. It’s great the first time”, Ron replied.

Hermione however, raised her eyebrows disapprovingly. “You shouldn’t be allowed to get wasted at the dinner table, its terrible etiquette! Harry don’t touch it! Fred got it for the table; you’d better keep away from it.”

“And since when have you been an expert at alcohol Ronald Weasley?” she added, turning around to face Ron.

“Since I came of age” Ron retorted, “but if Harry doesn’t want it… or isn’t brave enough to stand up to you, I’d be happy to do the honours!”

“Harry dear! You haven’t tried the Summer Pudding. Here… Ginny won’t you pass it to Harry” Mrs. Weasley handed her daughter the dessert.

As Ginny passed the dish to Harry, he noticed an odd look in her eyes. She didn’t look sad but glanced meaningfully at him.

Their hands brushed against each other during the transaction.

Ginny looked away.

Harry’s insides squirmed with guilt. He knew that he had avoided confronting Ginny for over a year and they had only shared a few insignificant polite conversations. He didn’t know what he wanted from her, and was quite sure that he didn’t want to risk her life by seeing her again.

But try as he might, he could not rid himself of the empty feeling on lonely, uneventful nights when he was actually in bed… and of a beautiful vision of a red-haired Goddess entering his room and running her fingers through his hair.

Dinner was finished and the party of fourteen soon retired in the living room.

Hermione was crooning over Pip as Fleur tried in vain, to put him to sleep. Ron stood behind Hermione rolling his eyes at her obvious weakness for babies and dropped himself on a couch beside the fire. Mrs. Weasley resumed her knitting of woolen ‘booties’ for her very first grandson. Mr. Weasley was discussing with Fred and George, plans for their future ambitions in business. Bill and Charlie were conversing seriously with a parchment spread across the table. Just as Harry decided to retire for the night after a heavy dinner, he saw the ‘beautiful vision’ walking towards him and felt himself going hot under his collar.

“Well Harry… it’s been a while hasn’t it? How have you been?” Ginny asked him, her eyes flickering from the light of the fire.

Harry noticed that they were quite alone in the corridor and had a crazy idea of putting an end to all the talk and simply grabbing Ginny in his arms and squeezing her.

The smell of her hair and clothes was enough to drive anyone wild. He felt hypnotized by her eyes piercing into his, and a hot trickle of sweat went down the back of Harry’ neck…

He realized he could go no longer without making a reply.

“Umm… I’ve been better. How’s it going at the Ministry? Ron told me that you’re trying for the Department of International Magical Cooperation” Harry said quietly.

Ginny merely looked at him for a long time.

“Harry I need to ask you something” she finally said, “I wanted to ask you what the deal is with… us…”

He had long expected this conversation and was fully conscious of the fact that Ginny Weasley wasn’t the type of girl who would sit and mourn for Harry’s love every night. She was beautiful, young and intelligent… always on the go… and of course irresistible to all of her male colleagues at work.

He heaved a deep sigh, and rubbed his eyes wearily.

“Ginny, I have absolutely no right to reserve you for me. You are a person, perhaps the most beautiful person I’ve ever met. We haven’t spoken for so long because I think you shouldn’t have anything to do with me or worry about me, when all this is already going on…

I’m fine… umm… there is no deal between us. I will always continue to feel about you the way I have. But you are free to do as you please. The thing is… I don’t want you to spend your life waiting for me and then be destroyed, if we never get a chance. I’m happy to have you…” Harry paused further, “only as my best friend’s little sister”

She looked up at him astounded and Harry began to wonder if he had been correct in estimating what this was all about. In fact he felt quite embarrassed by what he had just said, caught up in the passion.

“That’s all is it? What I interpret from all that is that you’re okay with me seeing someone else” Ginny asked softly.

She didn’t look distressed or happy… her expression was quite unreadable.

Harry thought it was a little foolish, and shameless to ask “Why… has someone asked you out”. He was sure that was the case, but didn’t know how long Ginny had been turning down the guy for the sake of his approval. He felt quite sorry for her… and while he was at it… sorry for himself too.

Harry quietly nodded and then looked away. He couldn’t bear to look into her eyes, but he wanted so much to lose himself in them for all eternity. He wanted to love her to distraction…to let the whole world know.

But this was wrong… he couldn’t let anyone stand in his path or distract him from his task. There were millions of witches and wizards out there, counting on him to destroy the most evil and powerful dark wizard for a century.

“So… the great Harry Potter sacrifices his lady love for the sake of mankind and justice!” Ginny declared sarcastically.

“Harry… no matter what you say or do, it’s pretty evident what’s really on your mind. But I have your word and am going to warn you. No matter how noble you are, you are a normal human being. Tonight, you brought this decision upon yourself. But I give you leave to change your mind… especially when this will bite where it really hurts” Ginny said, a small smile playing across her lips.

Her words were not unkind… but remarkable… just as remarkable as she was.

Harry didn’t know how best to reply to the aforementioned conditions that had been made clear.

Ginny leaned forwards and kissed the back of his ear lobe. As she stood on tip-toe for a minute, moistening the spot where her mouth touched his skin, Harry could take in the warmth of her body more than ever.

This time, small stars of a different variety exploded before Harry’s eyes.

He looked down at her, and she flashed her devilish smile… she was perfect… in every way… and even though Harry knew he had lost her for now… she would come back to him… that he, Harry would live to see a day when Ginny Weasley was truly his… only his.

CHAPTER 5- WHAT WITCHES WANT

“And then you kissed him? And just walked away?” Hermione asked Ginny the next evening, while they sipped coffee at the Three Broomsticks.

“Absolutely… I wanted to be enigmatic about it, you know, leave him in two minds about the whole thing” Ginny smirked, blowing foam off her mug.

“Well, that part was pretty much covered. I don’t think he’s fathomed what’s on his mind. I mean that, he obviously loves you, he said so himself didn’t he?” Hermione asked, puzzled by Ginny’s expertise when it came to handling men.

“I don’t know about love… but I still pretty much got the thunder when it comes to him” Ginny replied, tossing her hair like a ‘Phlegm’.

Hermione continued “And you think this Josh person likes you…a Trainee Auror you met at Ron’s office?”

Ginny said matter-of-factly “Josh is everything but Harry… fun-loving and carefree sorts. None of the serious stuff or brooding, it’s a welcome change actually. We just talked a bit and before I knew it, he was totally making the eyes at me, but I couldn’t just leave Harry”.

“If you ask me it’s a bit strange how you seem to have recovered from Harry so quickly… are you really over Harry?” Hermione probed further.

“Gimme a break Hermione! Its bin a year now and nothing from him. This is the longest break a couple goes on! And besides, he certainly seems to be doing fine without me, busy as he already is. So I don’t want to distract him or interfere in his mission. And you wouldn’t complain if you saw Josh Darlington. He’s so delicious I could eat him up” Ginny finished her speech, licking off the cream from her coffee with relish.

Hermione smiled uncertainly. She had always vouched for Harry and Ginny to be together, given that they had already dated for a short period two years back. But she knew that this was far from over. With Harry and Ginny, it was ‘never off the table’… even when they weren’t dating they were a “couple”.

“Well, enough about me, what about you and Ron? Have you guys made any progress?” Ginny asked Hermione with feigned innocence.

“Really Ginny, I think we’ve had enough talk about affairs. When will you finish your summer correspondence with Hogwarts?” Hermione replied, going red.

Ginny chuckled at the defense mechanism, “My summer correspondence ends in the summer obviously… but don’t change the subject! Do you or do you not like my brother?”

“Of course I like him! He’s one of my best friends!”

“Do you lurve him? Can you see yourself having children with him? And you and I can play good ol’ sister-sister! Living in a great white cottage by the sea, where not even Luna’s Cacky-Horned Snorgles can get the both of you?” Ginny sang relentlessly.

“That’s quite enough Ginny!” Hermione practically hid her face behind the coffee mug, “it doesn’t matter what I feel because I know that Ron doesn’t see me that way”

“But you’ve GOT to let him know what you feel! My git of a brother could take centuries before he realizes that he loves you… because he DOES, he always has” Ginny insisted gently.

“Tell me more about Josh Darlington… is he blond and blue- eyed like the rest?” Hermione retorted looking determinedly away from Ginny’s face.

Ginny applied the usual tact… she looked straight at Hermione for a long time and then said slowly “It’s settled then… you don’t like Ron and don’t want to wait for him. Why I don’t I set you up on a spectacular blind date? You know what? We can double-date… me-Josh and you with Mr. X. it’ll be good fun!”

“WHAT! No! Wait… I mean… no! I can’t… I –I – d-don’t believe in blind dates a-and…” Hermione went pink and looked flustered.

“I know this really cute guy in my department- Michael Cartwright; he’s senior than me, probably about two or three years older than you. He’s single, tall, brunette and pretty much packed with everything a woman can want. I’ve been trying to store him for myself, but you can have him as you’re my best friend. Also he’s more your type as he can’t stand women who are just good-looking but empty at the top floor” Ginny coaxed further.

“Are you saying Ginny Weasley, that just because I got the highest percentile score every year at Hogwarts, I’m ugly, but this Michael guy will take me anyway?” Hermione retorted; her cheeks botched pink.

Ginny continued in a smooth voice “You know as well as I do that you can look fantastic if you want to. It’s your natural thing that works the charm on men. And I’d much rather have you or Tonks over someone like Phlegm- and did I mention that Michael is very appreciative of the SPEW?” Ginny said everything at one breath.

There was a brief spell of silence as Hermione stared at Ginny, with a new expression.

The Three Broomsticks around them had begun to clear out. As evening set in, the crowds thinned in Hogsmeade. Everyone was keen to make it safe to their beds at night now that there was absolutely no place where they could be safe. Only a few weeks back, three small wizard boys were killed by Death Eaters in the alley leading to Zonko’s joke shop.

“We’d better get back home Ginny, it’s getting dark and this discussion isn’t worth our lives” Hermione said urgently, moving towards the counter to pay for their coffees.

“You bet it is!” Ginny continued excitedly “So do we have an agreement or not? Look its foolproof… if you like Michael, then good for you and if you don’t then Ron will be jealous enough to kill him and profess his undying love for you… either way you win”.

“Thanks Ginny, but I really think you should spent time more engagingly than finding ways of uniting me and your brother… it’ll never happen. And I’m really busy these days with getting a lease and registry for S.P.E.W. You- uh- you carry on with Josh… who knows, he might just be ‘the man’ for you” Hermione said with a note of finality.

Ginny smiled to herself as they exited the pub, she definitely had a plan materializing in her head. She and Hermione hugged goodbye before apparating towards their respective homes.

Hermione reached her apartment later than usual that night. She had left Ginny to finish some grocery shopping. As she spread the Daily Prophet before her, and chewed her dinner silently, she realized that she would die alone and boy-friendless if she didn’t make a move soon. Poking her salad with a fork, she wondered sullenly what she wouldn’t give to have Ron ‘profess his undying love for her’.

The adventure at the castle had brought them closer again. She knew that Ron used to stare at her for some time before sleeping when they shared a ward at St. Mungo’s. She could feel his gaze upon her face, when she pretended to be asleep. Then again, they had been this close before on several occasions and Ron had mentioned nothing. She felt very small and sad as she looked at the empty chair opposite her, wishing that someone would be there with a bunch of roses and she could enjoy a typical candlelit dinner with him.

As she got into bed clutching a spare pillow close to her bosom, she lay awake for a great length of the night. Ginny was right. It was just a crush she had on Ron, just a crush on a best-friend… and she didn’t want to wait for him or mess up what they had as friends.

She and Ron would be thrown into each other’s company as long as they would know each other… but there was something about this ‘Michael’ guy that she wanted to explore. There was every chance that he would be nothing significant but it was only one night and a harmless blind date.

Not that Hermione believed in things like blind dates, she actually didn’t know what she believed in anymore. Ever since she had looked into the faces of those deathly creatures that night, felt her own life wear away and battled every one of them with the only the hope of being alive again… she realized that her life was too short for waiting…

Hermione knew that her allegiance to Harry came before everything and she expected Ron to do the same… but from what that night had turned out to be, she felt that eventually one unlucky night would be the end of her.

She rolled sleeplessly to her back and gazed up at the roof. Ron had grazed her bare knee under the table that night at dinner and she had felt a little shudder move along her spine. What she didn’t understand was that Ron had always been near and she had always felt the same way about him. Why was she losing her head and a good night’s sleep over thoughts like these? She had always conducted herself gracefully so far.

But perhaps the talk with Ginny where she had almost discussed Ron freely, and the way Ginny had egged her on to make a decision had had the effect. She didn’t know what she wanted anymore… a part of her wanted to be there with Michael and look good, while there was another half protesting Ron’s cause… what was she to do about him?

That night she decided… that things with Ron were to remain unchanged and to progress as they usually did- at snail- pace. She would agree to go to that date and not be afraid of what she didn’t know… she would wear that lovely skirt she had bought for herself during her holiday to France with her parents. Ginny would be really pleased and Hermione would like that. And she privately agreed with Ginny… the plan was foolproof… if she liked Michael then it was just great, and if she didn’t, Ron would definitely be jealous and do something about it… or at least she hoped. And with that final thought, Hermione Granger closed her eyes and dreamt of large freshly mowed lawns… books and parchments flying in the air and Ron Weasley wearing a suit of armor and sword racing on a horse to come and rescue her from alligators.

Chapter 6- The New Regime

It was early, the next day that Ron stood in the line outside Dwindle’s office with baited breath. He had woken up to a seemingly beautiful morning and had actually reached work on time. The Ministry building was as large and bustling as ever, what with its employees working overtime under Scrimgeour’s new administration. This was his second day at work, back from St. Mungo’s after an extended break. There had been no time for explanations the previous day as they had all been preparing for a new assignment that Junior Aurors would be sent on. He had not been compelled to offer any explanation for his absence to anyone except a few of his colleagues in the cubicle that was allotted to him. The event of Walden Macnair’s capture at his own hands had been carefully and enthusiastically narrated.

Today however, he had been called to the Big D’s office, an area most Aurors usually avoided. ‘Meredith Dwindle’ was the newly appointed Head Auror…a man who didn’t believe in holidays or sick-leave or dinner-at-home, especially during the war. What he did believe in however, was venting lava upon any employee, whether senior or junior, in case the work was ‘nearly abysmal’. Yet another quality that Dwindle exhibited was a severe and unimaginable dislike for the Dark Arts and no mercy was shown to a captured Death eater during trial. Hence the post of Head-Auror… he was ruthless, unrelenting and clever… a perfect match for the enemy.

Ron wasn’t scared of him… he was terrified. And as the line of ‘abysmals’ before Dwindle’s office moved forwards he realized, that either way, the moment he stepped into that office, he was a goner.

“Ronald Weasley!” a voice boomed from within the office. Throwing dungbombs at Lord Voldemort’s face would have been a safer bet than entering this joint, thought Ron as he gulped and walked in. The ‘tyrant’s’ office was pretty much everything like him… neat, organized and spelled ‘efficient’ in large letters. Dwindle’s secretary sat in the corner making notes with his quill and separating parchment. On the four walls, there were posters with quotes that were being circulated in the department as pamphlets. It was part of Scrimgeour’s idea of organizing the Aurors and instilling some vigour and enthusiasm among them in light of Emergency that had been declared. Ron read flashy, bright words on the walls like “Competence and skill, is what makes an Auror a Good Auror” or something like “Never be late for work… Never”. Ron also noticed a poster that said “It’s called ‘VOLDEMORT’ and not ‘you-know-who’.

He thought to himself glumly as he sat across that Hermione would have been an ideal employee in this joint.

“So… you are Ronald Bilius Weasley, am I correct? I understand that you have not come to work for the last 9 days owing to the fact that you were in St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries?” Dwindle asked Ron in a crisp tone.

“Y-Yes Sir” Ron replied, wishing that he could evaporate on the spot.

Dwindle continued with malice “The estimated amount of working hours wasted on your counterpart is 92.3 hours. Before I deduct the aforementioned value from your earnings, might I ask what affliction you were suffering from and how it came to be?”

Ron looked down into his lap, feeling as small and insignificant as a Flobberworm.

He replied in a low tone “I was tailing a Death Eater- Walden Macnair… you know the one whom I turned in last week. You see, when I tried to follow him I- I-uh… missed a step and fell down a flight of stairs…and-uh-and-erm I broke my rib and right leg and was bruised real bad…and that was why I was at Mungo’s”

Not altogether convincing… the half-truth spilled out of Ron’s trembling white lips.

“And this man you speak of, Walden Macnair. In your honourable views, he is sure to be a Death Eater. Might I impose the enquiry as to how you were so aware of his whereabouts?” Dwindle asked again maliciously.

This time Ron looked up, he wasn’t going to tell Dwindle that he had in fact been helping Harry destroy the horcrux… no, that was top secret. But what could he say…

“ We all know for a fact that Macnair was a Death Eater… he’s been on the most wanted list ever since proof was found of his involvement in the murder of those boys in Hogsmeade” Ron retorted coldly “and as for where I found him, that is inconsequential considering the fact that I have brought you a Death Eater, dead!”

Ron wasn’t quite sure if he would ever make it out of Big D’s office alive after that. As though he suffered from an apoplectic disorder, Dwindle gulped nervously and deflated before him. Muttering incomprehensibly, he shuffled a few papers before him and then got up to pace the room to and fro. Ron wasn’t sure if he imagined the words ‘scandalous’ and ‘abysmal’ in the gibberish being thrown about, as the words they were so used to hearing in Dwindle’s inspiring speeches.

“Son, I admire your sentiments. Of course the matter of consequence is that we at the Ministry have captured a fugitive and criminal, in the list that has been circulated among trainee and Senior Aurors alike. But…”

“Erm Sir, please excuse my correction. I have captured the said fugitive and criminal… not we…” was Ron’s shameless interposition.

The blow didn’t fall as he had anticipated. Instead Ron was announcing the incredibly good news to his colleagues a few moments later.

“RON! A bonus! Wow! I’m so proud of you!” Sally Portman exclaimed ecstatically.

“Blimey Sally! I wish you were there to see old Dwindle’s face when I said that ‘I’d brought him a Death Eater dead’. He looked as if I’d slapped him and then grumbled that in that case I deserved a bonus. You just need to stand up to him a little, I guess. I mean that he’s really just a softy” Ron said, ruffling his own hair imaginatively.

“Yes- yes we’re all very proud you showed him some gut Ron!” cried David Ledger patting him on the back.

Ron was surrounded by his team of Trainee Aurors and shared a glass of wine with them. He felt happier than he had in a long time. This was a matter of a bonus of 100 galleons and there was no telling what he could do with that kind of money. He had wanted to purchase that handsome set of dress robes on display at Madame Malkins a month back, for the Annual Auror’s Fund- Raiser in April. The robes Fred and George had got him were already faded and a little short at the sleeves. Ron sank into a chair and decided that he’d make himself the purchase for his birthday next March.

He suddenly got up from his chair a moment later, and made for the door.

“Where to Ronald? We’ve gotta be at the X Room in a few minutes for practice” Sam Whittaker drawled from the corner.

“Just a mo… I’ve got to deliver these documents to Josh in his office, Dwindle asked me to pass them on to him” Ron replied.

And he left the idle conversation among his colleagues, walking out through the door. The last he heard was them, tease Sam about his new girlfriend whose unknown identity had been the cause of a lot of gossip. Ron’s head was swimming as he walked from one cubicle to the other to get to the block where Josh Darlington’s office was. His first thought had been what Hermione would think of the bonus. She would be elated, elated enough to perhaps reward him… in ways that only he could imagine. He abruptly turned around to check as though worried that someone had read his thoughts. Then smiling to himself, he opened the door to Josh’s cubicle, visualizing what it would be like to lift Hermione in the air in his arms and watch her sunlight smile light up her face...

Ron stopped dead in his tracks. He couldn’t explain what he saw. For a long time he stood gaping at the spectacle before his eyes and didn’t know how to react. If he had only known, while getting out of bed that morning, that work today would be full of so many surprises, he would have gone right back to sleep. After all there was a limit to what a young man full of adrenaline could take at a time. And right now adrenaline was roaring for him to whip out his wand and curse the man before him.

Instead, Ron walked right up to the desk and slammed the documents he had to deliver onto the table.

The couple, who sat on the chair behind the desk, broke apart from an extensively passionate kiss. Josh blinked at Ron being too stunned to speak, and he couldn’t relate Ron’s livid face to what he had been doing. But it was Ginny…Ginevra Molly Weasley, who knew exactly what this was about.

“Dwindle asked me to drop off these. They’re important so you’d better take a look at them right away, Darlington!” spat Ron, his ears growing dangerously red.

If Ginny had ever seen Ron this charged, it had been earlier on a somewhat similar occasion, when Ron had walked in on her and Dean Thomas kissing behind a tapestry at Hogwarts. She had been angry then too as she was now. Ron seemed to be singularly armed with this ability to interfere in her personal affairs.

“Umm… sorry about this Ron” Josh grinned, his arms still around Ginny’s waist “didn’t hear you come in. Did Dwindle say what these were about and when I should send them back?”

Ron looked right into Josh’s face. The perpetrator was actually smiling. Obviously Josh had no idea as to what this WAS about, thought Ron furiously. He turned his gaze to Ginny who didn’t look remotely abashed or showed any signs of recognition.

“Just what I would imagine”, thought Ron.

There was once a time when he, Ron would have hexed Josh Darlington and taken Ginny straight home to their mother. But Ron was ready this time… more mature and prepared.

“Oh Yeah! Dwindle told me that whenever it was possible for your highness to take a look at these ‘would-be’ important documents, you could post him your reply if it doesn’t bother you too much, or interfere in any snogging sessions planned in your schedule for today” Ron bellowed, leaving the room with an ironic bow.

Ron marched up to the X Room, to join the others. His ears were ringing… Ginny Weasley with Josh Darlington… a Junior Undergraduate with a Trainee Auror… more importantly, HIS baby sister with ‘some’ guy in his office… no… Ron simply wouldn’t have it, he’d put a stop to it… even if it meant killing Josh.

He gave the password to the X Room and verified his fingerprints before entering. (The Fingerprint Reader, had been a new addition to the security and the idea had been suggested by a Muggle Auror, who had seen them being used in Muggle Spy films)

“You’re late” said the Senior Auror in charge of the X Room, watching Ron stride in, his face botched up.

“Sorry… I had to deliver some documents for Mr. Dwindle” Ron grumbled.

He went and hid behind Sally Portman who whispered to him frantically “How long did that take you? Did you and Josh fight or something? Where’s Josh? He’s supposed to be here too”.

Ron didn’t reply. This was the Auror office and news traveled fast enough as it is… and he didn’t want to help spread this particular nugget of information.

“…now the key is to concentrate, if done correctly with determination and strength of character, it will enable you to deflect even the Imperius Curse” Ron felt the Senior Auror’s words penetrate his befuddled mind. He had done this before, trying to throw off the Imperius Curse. A Death Eater in the guise of Mad- Eye Moody had taught them in their fourth year at Hogwarts. This wasn’t the first time that Ron found the training in the X Room excessively boring and tiresome. But he was in no position to argue with the new Ministry approved procedure and course for the training of Aurors. For the first few sessions they had reviewed spells that Ron had already learnt from Harry at the Dumbledore’s Army, and there had been other shields and defensive magic that he and Hermione had helped Harry learn for the Triwizard Tournament. It had been demonstrated in the same way as well… they had practiced Stunning Spells on each other using cushions.

However, considering that all this was dull and repetitive for Ron, he wasn’t very good at them. At least not as good as Aurors were expected to be. Harry would have been great here, Ron thought gloomily and suddenly wondered if either of his friends was more deserving and talented for this job than he was. They had both taken the tougher path… Harry, of course was unemployed and searching for the horcruxes. He mostly lived off his vast inheritance and would do some odd- jobs now and then while traveling. Hermione had given up everything for the sake of ‘Spew’ and all her knowledge and accomplishment had been pledged towards house- elf liberation. She had considered joining the Ministry as a side option but abandoned it as she wanted her full attention towards S.P.E.W.

Meanwhile Ron had taken up the dream job… the one that Harry had always wanted and qualified for. Ron’s dull and bored mind gathered that he wasn’t even good at it and probably didn’t deserve those 100 Galleons. Harry did because Harry had fought Macnair even before Ron had gotten there…

“Ronald Weasley, would you please step up!” a voice called, snapping him out of his trance. “I would like you to demonstrate how one should resist the Imperius Curse and for that, the first step is to keep your head empty of all emotions” the Senior Auror continued in his reedy voice, unaware that Ron was at the peak of his emotional scales at the moment.

“Now I am going to perform the curse on you and you will have to do what it takes to throw it off, I trust you were paying attention” he warned before raising his wand on Ron.

“IMPERIO!”

Ron’s mind suddenly felt completely empty. He had felt this before, completely devoid of thought and feeling. Every corner of his brain was lax except for a minute region where a small voice was echoing. Ron identified it as his instructor’s voice that seemed to be giving the one single command “Drop your pants”.

For a moment Ron felt his mouth sagging… his own fingers unzipping his trousers… he heard a distant nervous giggling across the room… he could see Sally shaking her head furiously at him, mouthing something he couldn’t understand.

And then, he suddenly knew what was going on… the last folds of his pants were slipping from his fingers, he was letting them go… he hadn’t found any clean underwear that morning… he must be out of his mind to be doing this…

“MERLIN’S PANTS!” Ron screamed, crumbling to the cold floor of the X Room clutching his own trousers. All his team around him was laughing and the room was revolving in his head.

“How much had they seen?” Ron thought wildly, grasping the new emotions flooding his brain.

“Silence! Very good Mr. Weasley, very good! That was an excellent first shot! I’ve had long experience in this career, but have known this particular exercise to sometimes fail. I have also endured many interesting sights as a result of that” the instructor allowed himself a smirk, while Sam helped lift Ron to his feet.

Now completely aware of what had almost happened to him, Ron retreated red-faced behind Sally once more.

“Ron, are you fine? Some day you’re having” Sally said soothingly, while he looked up at the ceiling willing himself to vanish from the spot.

“Nice trick… don’t worry you zipped back up before we saw anything good. Man! That would have worked on anyone” Noel Osborne said patting Ron’s back “although, I wouldn’t mind years in Azkaban if I manage to Imperius you to drop your clothes for me, Sally-babe” he said to Sally, who rolled her eyes at him.

“It’s okay Ron, we’ll get you out of here as soon as the session gets off and head for coffee” she turned to Ron coaxingly “you don’t have to bear what jerks like Osborne have to say about this”.

Ron coughed slightly and continued to stare at the ceiling, wondering how the 100 galleon bonus was really costing him today. He swore to head straight home from work and sleep the rest of this day off before the universe devised some other plan against him.

He walked out briskly from the X Room with his team an hour later, sporting a bloody lip after the next round of training had involved casting defensive hexes at each other. Ron knew that his performance would have been magnificent if he had gotten the opportunity to hex Josh Darlington, but Josh hadn’t showed up at all for the entire session. As he turned at the corner with David who was going on about his fabulous ‘Beehive’ jinx, he ran into the perpetrator.

“Ron can we talk somewhere private?” Josh asked Ron, his amber eyes boring into Ron’s glaring blue ones.

Ron knew that nothing Josh could possibly say would make the day better or worse, perhaps better if he was there to tell him that he and Ginny had broken up.

“No I’m sorry… gotta get patched up” Ron said shortly, pointing to his lip and tried to walk past him.

“It’s about the documents you delivered this morning” Josh insisted.

Ron turned around to face him again and he knew what this was really about.

“Fine then, Darlington”, he thought to himself. If Josh was willing to get himself punched up, Ron was only too ready to do the deed. He followed Josh silently to his cubicle and saw to his immense relief that Ginny had left.

“Ron I didn’t know that Ginny was your sister…” Josh began uncertainly, but Ron cut in icily.

“Oh Really? Why is that? Weasley’s not a very common surname now, is it? And don’t tell me that if you knew she was my sister, you wouldn’t have snogged her anyway!” Ron flexed his wrists to add the effect.

He didn’t care what else the day had in store for him and just wanted to vent out all his feelings at Josh, who seemed to be a ready target.

“No… it’s just that I really adore her and everything she is. And I was hoping that since we already know each other, we could be friends and you could give me some advice on how to ask her out for the Auror’s Ball. What’s her favorite color?” Josh asked Ron mercilessly, with a smile that reminded him of Gilderoy Lockhart.

Ron looked speechless at Josh… he was actually asking him for advice on HOW to date his sister… he hadn’t brought Ron here to beg for mercy on bended-knee… it had been for Ron’s blessing. He thought that this was a sick joke Ginny was playing on him. What he absolutely couldn’t imagine was what she going to do about Harry.

“I’m sorry, I can’t help you. My sister and I are not on speaking terms and we never were. I certainly don’t know what her favorite color is. And… and you should go to the X Room and explain why you weren’t there for the training session” Ron retorted with his eyes narrowed at Josh, as though merely the look of him caused him supreme disgust. And thus leaving Josh Darlington thoroughly bewildered, he walked out of the cubicle.

Read Chapter 7: Abyss of Revenge here