Fanfic #53 Fate by TheTrueSpartan(HarryPotter)

This fanfic has Ron as the mc with the ability to see into the future. I know most people don't like Ron at all, but this fanfic has a lot of development for his character and an interesting starting point. It also has a lot of world building which I like.

Rated: M

words: 3153k

https://m.fanfiction.net/s/13170637/1/Fate

Here's the first chapter:

Ronald Weasley's POV

He had spent the whole night tossing and turning. Sleep had been eluding him all night, and despite his best efforts, he couldn't understand why. Why can't I sleep even though I feel knackered? His headache certainly wasn't helping him, and eventually he tossed his blanket aside and got out of his bed. With a frustrated groan, he began his journey down towards the Kitchen in order to get himself a glass of cold water. As he made his way downstairs, he recalled the day's events.

It had certainly been a long day for him. He had woken up as early as seven in the morning, and after brushing his teeth, he had rushed downstairs in order to celebrate his eighth birthday with his family. He absolutely loved his birthdays, mostly because it was the only time of the year when he was the center of attention. The twins, who were usually pranksters and all around trouble-makers, would be kind and caring towards him. Percy, in his own way, would show him affection too. Charlie and Bill would dote on him, and they'd carry him around on their backs as if he were a king. And it was the only time of the year when his mother and father treated him better than they treated his siblings. He had always felt overshadowed by Bill and Charlie's cool stories, and the twins' ingenious pranks, and even Percy, with his perfect pompous attitude, made Ron feel insignificant. There was no denying that Ron didn't have that 'spark' that his brothers did, and after much time and deliberation, Ron had made his peace with it.

And when it came to Ginny, Ron had always felt bitter jealousy deep down because of how well she was treated in comparison to him. Ginny was seen as an actual princess, and despite Ron trying his best to understand why Ginny was treated this way, he still couldn't resist the allure of jealousy. Nor the guilt he felt afterwards. Molly Weasley doted on her only daughter, bought her new clothes while Ron was given hand-me-downs, and would spend every moment she could around Ginny. Ron would often linger around, but he was nothing more than a shadow when Molly cast her eyes on Ginny.

Fred had once told him that their mother had wept when Ron was born because she was told by a medi-witch that she was pregnant with a girl. And then Ron was born, and he certainly wasn't a girl. He didn't believe Fred at first because the twins were always nasty to him, but from that day on, he could see how much his mother loved Ginny and how little she interacted with him in comparison. He would never admit it, but a small part of him wished that Ginny wasn't a girl, just so that he could spend more time with his mother.

His father was a different story all together. Ron sometimes felt that their father loved Muggles more than he loved his own children. Of course, Arthur always made time for his children, but whenever he wanted to test out a new Muggle device or when he set out to learn more about Muggles, Ron was always the last pick. Even during family time, Arthur didn't really talk with Ron besides asking him how he was.

But not today. Today was his birthday, and that meant that for this one day, he would the center of attention. His mother had already made his favorite breakfast and was humming to herself when he barged in her Kitchen, eager to get started with his special day.

"Morning, mum." Ron greeted, pulling Molly out of her thoughts.

"Good Morning, love." she replied with a loving smile as she walked over to him, and then she planted a kiss on the top of his head. "I've made your favorite, tuck right in". Ron quickly ran up to the table and took his seat, eagerly piling eggs and pieces of bacon onto his plate. His mother's cooking skills were unmatched in his opinion. They had eaten out as a Family in Diagon Alley once before, but even the restaurant that they had dined in had nothing on his mum. Molly Weasley was a genius when it came to Spells created specifically for housework.

"This is great, mum!" he mumbled, his mouth being too full. "I love your cooking!"

"Chew your food, love." Molly chuckled, Ron was definitely the most 'ferocious eater' in her family. She used to think that Charlie ate a lot, but after seeing Ron eat, she always found herself amused at how wrong she was. "What are your plans for your special day, Ronnie?"

"I was just going to spend time with everyone. Is dad home?" Ron asked, hoping that he was. His father's attention was something that he always enjoyed. He knew that they didn't interact much already due to his father's busy work schedule within the Ministry, and then there was his Muggle hobby. Not to mention that there were six other children besides Ron that Arthur Weasley was responsible for. But today was different. Today was Ron's birthday.

"I'm sorry Ronnie, your father was called into the Ministry late last night. He won't be back until the evening." she replied, and when she saw the faraway look in her son's eyes, she couldn't help but give him an apologetic smile. He was disappointed, she had no doubt about that, but she knew that Ron would never voice his disappointment. "But I've invited Luna and her mother over for lunch. You remember Mrs. Lovegood, don't you?"

Ron simply nodded his head and smiled at his mother, his mood had dampened slightly. At least he'd get to see Luna again, which was always fun. She was a bit strange, but he liked her nonetheless. She was the only other girl that he knew besides Ginny, but unlike Ginny, Luna was gentle and soft-spoken. She had never once compared him to his brothers, and she often spent most of her time with him discussing Chess. She wasn't very good at it, but she knew that Chess was something that Ron excelled in, and therefore, enjoyed talking about. And he certainly did enjoy telling Luna about Chess, and of the different techniques that he had memorized. It made him feel like he was brilliant just like his brothers.

"That's great mum, Luna is always fun to spend time with." Ron said, deciding to look at the silver lining. "And Mrs. Lovegood always brings those pastries with her that taste amazing." At that Molly found herself stifling a laugh, her boy was always thinking with his stomach.

"I want you on your best behavior, Ronald Weasley." she spoke sternly, but there was humor in her voice. "Make sure you include Luna in everything that you do with your brothers today. Oh, and also include Ginny." she added quickly.

"Yes, mum." he said with a sigh. He always had to babysit Ginny. The twins were a terror, and Ginny never got along with Percy. The age gap was too large between her and Charlie and Bill, so she always became Ron's responsibility when their mother wasn't around to watch her. Only the twins and Ginny were home with Ron though, but only because they hadn't started Hogwarts yet.

"Mummy, mummy." came a voice from upstairs, followed by quick footsteps. And then, Ginny was in the Kitchen. The moment she saw Ron, something flashed behind her eyes and she smiled widely. She quickly ran up and hugged Ron from behind, nearly strangling him with her absurd strength. "Happy birthday, Ronnie!" Ron smiled and turned around, their eyes locking.

"Morning Gin." Ron greeted her, and she beamed down at him. "And thanks! Luna is coming over today." They were unaware that Molly was smiling at them both. She knew Ron would always watch out for Ginny, and their cute interactions always made her heart melt.

"Sit down dear, and dig in." Molly cooed. "After that, both of you should wash up. Did you see the twins, love? Are they awake?"

"Their door was closed." Ginny quickly replied as she took her seat next to Ron. She always sat next to Ron. "I think that they're working on another prank." Ron immediately tensed up. If the twins had another prank in mind, then he would no doubt be the victim. Ginny was protected by their mother, and the twins would never dare prank their parents. Not after they had turned their mother's hair blue for a week last year, and then learned that an angry Molly Weasley may have been more terrifying than even He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. That left no one but Ron and Percy, and the twins did enjoy playing their tricks on Ron, even more than they enjoyed pranking Percy. At least it won't happen today.

"Those two, I swear..." With that, Molly left for upstairs, leaving her two youngest to themselves. They ate in silence for a short minute before Ron noticed that Ginny was staring right at him. He looked up and smiled at her, but she simply kept staring. Um... Am I that handsome?

"What is it Gin? Do I have something on my face?" he asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious. Everyone snickered and laughed at him while he ate, but how was it his fault that he loved food?

"No." Ginny replied quietly, but her stare told him a different story.

"Then why are you staring at me? It's really weird Gin, stop it."

"Why do you always get so excited when Luna comes over? She's my friend." Ginny suddenly pouted. Ron was taken aback by the question and his sister's sudden sulky mood, Luna was his friend too. She really is a princess. A spoiled one.

"I don't get excited. I don't know what you're on about..." he muttered as he refocused on his food in order to hide his gaze from hers, but Ginny was still staring at him.

"Yes, you do. It was the first thing you said to me when I hugged you... I'm your sister…" she trailed off, looking down at her food. Brilliant… Now she really is sulking. I should say something. But what was he supposed to say? Ron was never any good when it came to talking about sensitive topics. He had tried to once before with the twins, but Fred had called him a poof and had told him that real men don't talk about their feelings. A few days later, they had caught him while he was comforting a crying Ginny, who had been bitten by a Gnome in their garden. He was hugging her and telling her that he loved her, and that she didn't have de-Gnome the garden today because he would do it for her. The twins had tormented him with a passion for a week, telling him that there were three girls in the Weasley Family, and that he was one of them. They would have continued if it wasn't for their mother's wrath.

"I know that." he laughed, but his laughter died immediately when Ginny looked back up, anger flashing in her eyes. "Ginny, Luna is my friend too. That doesn't mean… It doesn't mean I like her more than I like you... You know that." Ginny looked a little calmer, but he knew that this wasn't over, things were never so simple with his sister. She started eating her food quietly, while Ron helped himself to a second plate. He was still eating when Ginny put her dish in the kitchen sink, too naive to realize that Ginny was already plotting something in her mind.

"I'm going to take the first shower." she mumbled before running up the stairs, making Ron heave a defeated sigh. There were times when Ginny was impossible to decipher, at least in his eyes. She already had all the attention that she could need, and even though they weren't a wealthy family, Ginny wore new clothes and even had some jewelry. The best thing that Ron owned was Charlie's old toy broom stick... It was weathered, and it barely held him higher than five feet into the air. And now, she even wanted Ron to constantly play with her. Even when she was 'helping' their mother with cooking, she wanted Ron to be around. Ron never felt more like an outsider as he did when Molly and Ginny were around him together. Molly would shower her daughter with attention and love, while Ron would just become invisible. She sometimes never even noticed that her son had skulked off, too upset at being ignored to stay around. He resented that.

Ron was just finishing his breakfast when his mother and the twins came trotting downstairs. Molly walked into the Kitchen while the twins grinned ear-to-ear, their eyes fixed on Ron. Why is everyone staring at me today? And not in a good way either.

"Is everything all right? Why are…" Ron started, but he was cut off abruptly by Fred.

"Of course everything is alright, Ickle Ronnikins." Fred cooed.

"Why wouldn't it be?" George spoke in a sing-song voice.

"After all, today is your birthday!" they both said together, and Ron found himself getting annoyed by their back and forth talking. They always did it, and no one could tell how they seemed to be on the same page every time. It's borderline creepy at times.

"And we got you something." Fred continued as he held a small box in front of Ron. It was orange, and wrapped in a blue bow.

"Never say that we never gave you anything, Ronnie." George finished for his twin as he ruffled Ron's hair. Ron slowly took the box from Fred, and then he looked back up at the grinning twins. They looked like sharks that had smelled blood. Ron shuddered as he slowly unwrapped the box, and once he had opened it, his breath hitched in his throat. It was a Chudley Cannon Badge, and it looked brand new as well. He never got brand new things.

The Cannons were notorious for being a team that hadn't won a League for almost a hundred years. But Ron admired them and supported them anyway. Not even his Family could tell why, but the truth was that even though they barely ever won a match, they cheered and played the game without ever despairing or becoming angry. They were like that because they loved playing Quidditch more than winning. They were the underdogs who never gave up. Ron liked to think he was an underdog as well, and that one day, his Family would recognize him after he did something brilliant that none of his brothers had done before.

"Happy birthday, little bro." the twins spoke softly, and Ron ran up and hugged the twins, his eyes becoming misty when they actually returned his hug.

"Now... Get off us." Fred said after a silent moment, gently nudging Ron away from him and his other half. Ron was smiling ear-to-ear, his eyes already looking back down at his new badge. "We'll ignore that hug that you just gave us."

"But only because it's your birthday." George added. With that, they both made their way further into the Kitchen, while Ron ran up to his room, smiling and giggling due to his excitement. It was going to be a good day.

He was wrong about his earlier guess, it wasn't a good day at all. Firstly, there was heavy rain outside, which meant that they couldn't spend the day playing outside. Secondly, he had a headache that he suspected would slay a giant. It had started suddenly around midday, and it refused to leave. He knew that he didn't have a high temperature, and he certainly wasn't sick, but the headache was wearing him out. He thought about telling his mother, but quickly decided against it. The Lovegoods would be here soon, and he didn't want his mother getting worried over nothing.

Ginny was constantly talking to Luna, and even though Ron sat with them, Ginny was making sure to keep Luna's attention to herself. He didn't care too much about it though. His head was close to splitting open, and the voices of the girls seemed to echo as they got louder. He quietly excused himself to the Kitchen, only to walk in on his mother and Mrs. Lovegood having a chat about house-wards. Pandora Lovegood was a beautiful woman, even Ron, despite his young age, could see that. She had dirty blonde hair, which reached her lower back, and her eyes were almost silver in color, which only helped to sharpen her already piercing gaze. She was slender, but her curves were easily noticeable because her yellow sundress hugged her figure. She had fair flawless skin, and when she smiled, it was infectious. She was smiling right now, and even though Ron's head was throbbing, he couldn't help but smile as well. She saw him from the corner of her eyes, and immediately looked to him.

"There's the birthday boy." she spoke, her voice was soft and a bit airy. She's like an adult version of Luna.

"Hello." was all he could muster. Her piercing gaze was now on him, and he felt like she could gaze right into his mind. What she said next made him feel as though his guess was correct.

"Are you alright, Ronald? Do you have a headache?" MIND-READER! Ron straightened his back and smiled sheepishly, he could feel his blush coming on which he knew would be accompanied by two very red ears.

"It's not too bad, Mrs. Lovegood. I just need to lie down..." Ron replied, doing his best to hold her gaze. Molly quickly got up and walked over to her son, concern marking her features. She knelt down next to him, and quickly put her hand on his forehead.

"Ronnie, why didn't you say anything? You could be getting sick." Molly sighed, slowly standing back up. Ron tensed a bit out of fear of getting scolded, but he quickly relaxed when he saw how worried she was. She is just concerned.

"Sorry mum, but it only just started." he muttered, looking down at his shoes. "I didn't want you to worry." He looked back up at his mother, who was now giving him a small smile. But that's not what caught his attention. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Mrs. Lovegood putting her wand back under the table. He turned his head to look at her, and she gazed right back and smiled. Those eyes are scary. Ron smiled back, watching her carefully as she stood up with a honey pastry in her hand.

"Eat this, you will feel better." Mrs. Lovegood said as she walked over to him in order to hand him the pastry. Ron took it eagerly, he did love her pastries.

"Thanks, Mrs. Lovegood." he said, and then took a bite out of it. Much to his surprise, the pain started to dull quite quickly. And then, it was gone. "Wow... You were right." he grinned. Pandora simply chuckled at his grin, and then she pinched his left cheek.

"You were just a little hungry, dear. There are more pastries on the kitchen table, have as many as you like." she said, walking back to her seat. "He is getting bigger every day."

"I know… I hate it." Molly giggled as she ruffled Ron's hair. "He'll be off to Hogwarts soon." At that Molly looked a bit sad, at least Ron thought so anyway.

"Which house do you want to be in, Ron?" Pandora asked, her eyes once again locked with his. "I think you would make an excellent Ravenclaw. Luna tells me that you can even beat your father in Chess, I think that's rather amazing." Ron immediately perked up at the mention of Chess, and he nodded his head vigorously with his mouth full of pastry. Pandora and Molly both laughed, making Ron's ears turn red.

"My son will be in Gryffindor, just like all of us Weasleys." Molly tutted, gesturing Ron to return to the girls. With that, the two women began speaking about their Hogwarts years, and Ron moved over to the kitchen table in order to grab some more pastries. While he did that, he thought about what it would be like to finally attend Hogwarts. What if he was sorted into Ravenclaw? That would be a shocker, and it would definitely set him apart from his brothers. He wouldn't mind that too much. Mrs. Lovegood and her husband were both Ravenclaws, and they were decent folk. At least Ron thought so anyway. He had once heard the twins talking about how barmy Mr. Lovegood was, and Ron had quietly listened in. According to them, Mr. Lovegood believed in mad conspiracy theories, and he used his personal magazine to spread them around. With three pastries in hand, Ron made his way back to the Living Room. Luna and Ginny were still talking, but when he entered the room, Luna quickly turned to him and smiled.

"Where did you go, Ron? I hope that we didn't bore you." she said in her usual airy voice, and Ron was again reminded of her mother.

"No, you didn't." he replied, smiling at her. "I was a little hungry, that's all." He then walked over and handed Luna a pastry, which she took and bit into immediately. He then handed one to Ginny, who took it quickly and scowled at him. Ron was once again taken aback by her behavior, and he just stared at her for a moment before making his way back to the couch in order to eat his pastry in silence. He wondered where the twins were, and he figured they were in their room, no doubt planning their next great prank on him and Percy. He shuddered at the thought.

Soon it was evening, and his father barged through the front door with a cake for Ron. Once the cake was cut, and the birthday song sung, the Lovegoods bid the Weasleys farewell. Ron could see how tired his father was, but the fact that he had gotten Ron a cake from his favorite bakery in Diagon Alley made Ron's heart swell up in joy. Ron later joined his father in the Living Room and spoke with him about his day, Chess, and Quidditch for almost an hour. When Arthur could no longer stay awake, he said his goodnight, kissed his son on the forehead, and went off to bed. There was no doubt in Ron's mind that his father would have to leave early in the morning again tomorrow.

Once his father had departed, Ron walked into the kitchen and began helping his siblings clear the dining table. That was when his headache came back. And it came back with a vengeance. Ron was brought to tears as his head felt like it was about to shatter, and his ears began to ring from sheer pain. He felt a scream tear its way out of his throat as he fell down on his knees, all the while clutching onto his head. He heard multiple plates and glasses shatter as some sort of Magic rushed into him.

Molly had heard her son scream, and upon witnessing her Kitchen pretty much explode around her, she had run straight towards his crying form. Within a second she had her arms around her son, bombarding him with questions about his current state. Ron was unable to hear her over his own screams and that horrible ringing sound in his ears. Molly had screamed at the twins 'to get their father at once', and then turned her attention back to Ron, asking him what was wrong in a frantic and quivering voice. Ginny just stood there frozen, while Fred and George bolted upstairs to get their father. Ron's vision blurred as the sounds around him became distorted, and then it all went black. In the far distance, he could hear shouting, but it wasn't his mother's or his Family's. No, it was almost as if hundreds of people were in pain and were shouting at him to do something.

Ron woke up in his bed later that night. It was clear that a Healer had been there because there was an empty potion vial on his nightstand. His headache was still there, but it wasn't nearly as bad as before. Ron hoped that he never felt that kind of pain again. Deciding to go back to sleep, he closed his eyes and began trying to find a comfortable position.

Ron finished reflecting on his day as he made his way into the Kitchen, his entire mouth terribly dry. He walked down the stairs as carefully as he could because the Burrow had a habit of creaking if you stepped on the wrong board. Once he was inside the Kitchen, Ron suddenly saw a shadow moving in the dark. He froze instantly, his eyes going as wide as one of his mother's pans. The shadow turned to face him slowly, and Ron felt the urge to bolt. If it even moves an inch, I'm going to scream.

"Ronnie?" He knew that voice.

"Fred? You scared me." Ron whispered as he relaxed, a shaky breath escaping his mouth. The shadow moved closer, and it was indeed Fred. As Ron's eyes adjusted to the dark, he saw concern on his brother's face. Fred looked... sad, and maybe even scared. Ron had never seen Fred like this. Not even when the twins had given him an acid pop when he was seven, which had burned a hole through his tongue. Seeing his brother like this got Ron worried instantly. What's happened? Did someone die? Then he remembered his headache, and the potion vial in his room, which meant that this concern was for him.

"Bloody hell Ronnie, you scared everyone!" Fred whimpered, and then he moved forward quickly and embraced his little brother. Ron was shocked. This was Fred, and he was hugging Ron so tightly that it almost hurt. But Ron didn't care because he never wanted this moment to end. One of the two brothers he had come to fear was hugging him as if it was the last time. It actually might be, I don't get hugged by Fred every day. Oh Merlin... Am I dying? Ron slowly hugged Fred back, but for some reason, his arms barely moved. His headache flared to life once again, and he began to feel lightheaded as a result. And then, all of a sudden, Ron was somewhere else.

He looked around, and much to his shock, everything around him was in black and white. Like one of those old Muggle photos that his father had once showed off to his Family. He was in some sort of Hall, only it was massive and unlike anything that he had ever seen. Fred was no longer hugging him as he wasn't even there anymore. Ron found himself surrounded by people, and most of them were dirty and bloody. Ron went pale. They were all injured, and much to Ron's horror, there were people on the ground that weren't even moving. Where am I? What's happening?!

"HELP!" he screamed, but no one even noticed him as they continued tending to one another. He could hear sobbing and wailing from all directions, and no matter in which direction he looked, all he could see was misery. Panic rose in his chest, and he swung around in every possible direction in the hopes of figuring out where he was. Once he noticed a giant door on the other side of the Hall, he bolted straight for it. As he ran full tilt towards the giant door, people and the Hall became distorted in the corner of his vision.

That's when he spotted something flashing to his right, and it made him stop immediately. There was someone on the ground who was in complete color, unlike the black and white everyone else was in. The unmoving person in color had his eyes closed, and dark red blood was trickling down the right side of his face from a deep gash on his forehead. A person in black and white was sobbing into the colored man's chest, his fingers digging into the unmoving man's clothes. The man in color had red hair, just like Ron, and he looked oddly familiar as well. As if possessed, Ron's feet slowly pushed him towards the man who looked dead. Who is that? I know him… I… How do I know him?

Ron stood right above the stranger's head, and he looked around at the black and white people surrounding him. They were wailing and sobbing and screaming, their misery apparent to all. His heart clenched in his chest as he recognized two of the people who were holding one another and silently sobbing. Mum…? Dad…? He slowly lowered his head to see the face of the man in color. Who is…? Ron slowly fell to his knees and tried to touch the dead man's face, but his hand went through as if he was a ghost. Alarmed, Ron fell back on his bum and raised his own hands to his face. I'M DEAD?! WHAT IS HAPPENING?! Ron was ripped from his panic filled thoughts when he heard a blood curdling sob break out from the black and white man who was clutching onto the man in color. Ron looked up and saw that the grieving man was identical to man in color, except he was missing his left ear.

"Fred… WAKE UP FRED!" The man in black and white screamed, and a girl who looked like she was around fifteen, or maybe a little older, quickly moved and embraced him from behind, all the while trying her best to stop her own sobbing. Wait… What did he call him? Ron slowly stood up and looked back at the man in color, some sort of primal alarm bell going off inside of his head. He knew this face. That's when his blood became ice in his veins. His heart clenched in his chest, and his headache came back in strength. Fred… No, no, no...

"NO!" Ron screamed as he fell forward, trying to grab his dead brother's face, only for his hands to go right through again. "NO! FRED! You... You can't... Don't die... DON'T!" Ron was lost to hysteria, and he desperately tried to grab onto Fred anywhere that he could. However, his hands kept going through his dead brother. Ron's headache became even more painful during his panic, and it wasn't long before he was clutching his own head and screaming in agony. All noise slowly began to fade out, only to be replaced by an extremely loud ringing noise in his ears. Not only that, but there was someone, or something, whispering in his ears as well. But in the end, the ringing was too loud and he couldn't make out a single word. Ron shut his eyes as hard as he could, trying his hardest to block his ears as he continued to scream. And then the ringing stopped, and there was only silence.

Ron woke up the next morning in his bed. There was no headache, and much to his relief, everything was back in color. He was covered in sweat and absolutely exhausted. It was all just a dream? Was it just a horrible nightmare? It felt so... real. A slow smile crept onto his face. His brother was alive. It had all been a nightmare. Ron slowly looked to his right, and he was shocked to see his father asleep on a chair next to his bed. Ron was even more shocked when he attempted to sit up, only to see Fred sleeping at the foot of his bed, one of his hands around Ron's right shin. What are they both doing here?Confused, and a little alarmed, Ron tried to sit up again and looked over to his nightstand. There was an empty Potion vial sitting there, just like last night when he went to get a drink. Last night…

He couldn't remember coming back to his room. He could only remember his nightmare. As a matter of fact, he could remember it perfectly. Every single detail. Bile slowly rose in the back of his throat as he recounted the memory of a horrid dream where Fred was dead. Except the Fred that I saw was older... And who was that girl? Was that... Ginny? Mum and dad were there too, as was George. And I think I saw Percy sitting with Bill and Charlie... They were all so miserable. Wait... I wasn't there...

Now that he thought about it, something wasn't right about that dream. George's left ear was gone. Why would his ear be missing in my dream? Ron just sat there for the next thirty minutes, his mind fixed on the dream and what it could mean. Mr. Lovegood had once told him that there was 'power in dreams', but Mr. Lovegood tended to say a lot of things. Ron found himself wishing that this dream had no power, and that it never would. Ron's father stirred and slowly opened his eyes, only to see his youngest son sitting up and looking as though he was in some deep thought.

"Son… you're awake." Arthur spoke, his voice laced with relief. Ron turned to his father, looking straight into the man's eyes.

"Dad… I had the most horrible nightmare last night!" Ron whispered, a look of horror etched upon his face. Arthur simply blinked at him, and then he quickly leaned forward and embraced his youngest boy.

"I'm here son, I'm here. Nothing will hurt you. I promise." Ron didn't even have the strength to return the embrace, and all he could do was stare at the orange wall behind his father. It was just a nightmare. It had to be…