chapter 40 : The cave

At the end of the holiday, Neville and Hermione arrived at the manor to meet up with the others and take the train with them.

 Hermione had spoken with Molly and Arthur about her parents' safety as there were now multiple reports of muggles going missing in the wizarding world.

 Arthur promised Hermione that her parents have a place at the manor and that he would be happy to have them around at least until this whole thing blows over.

 Xenophilius had had his bookstore in the gallery and he was quite satisfied with it.

 The family also had a serious discussion about Ron and Luna's case, they decided to let them handle things the way they wanted because they knew Ron would know how to handle it.

 They returned to school to resume the course of the year, the training of the others in the Room of Requirement and Ron's work on the horcruxes.

 He had started to learn how to teach his gang legilimens and occlumency as well so that they could know how to defend themselves mentally. It had also been over a year since he introduced Luna to shamanic magic.

 A little over three months later, Ron and Luna faced each other in the Forbidden Forest with their wands in hand.

 Luna: Don't hold back.

 Ron: Girl, if I follow what you say then I'll be a widower in a few seconds.

 "You're really way too confident, my arrogant handsome..." She said before disappearing with a non-verbal disillusionment spell, she began attacking Ron with mastered basic spells without any pronunciation which Ron nonchalantly deflected with a smile .

 "Fenite" He said before stomping his foot on the ground and a magical pulse was emitted in the area to cancel Luna's invisibility spell who didn't seem very surprised. They each began to deflect each other's attacks.

 Ron attacked Luna with an "incendio" and she dodged it by performing a dash to start flashing from side to side while attacking Ron with spells to try to beat him but he too started to move in the same way and the duel became extremely fast, the slightest mistake would cause the defeat of the other.

 With an enchantment, Ron summoned several crows that came out of nowhere to fly into the area and attempt to attack Luna wherever she placed herself but she overpowered them with the spell "Animae incendio" which generated several lazy bunnies who flew to burn the birds.

 She then created several illusions of herself to confuse Ron and Ron did the same with more illusions.

 Luna moved among the illusions and in just a few seconds she felt something familiar, a warmth, a feeling of well-being and a crazy attraction to one of the Rons she was seeing.

 As she moved closer to him with her wand, Ron also slowly did the same and Luna eventually lowered her wand. Once they were at a fairly close distance, they reached out their hands, touched their poor ones, and their fingers crossed to entangle.

 Luna: How did you know...?

 Ron: I just knew...it's a pretty strange but familiar feeling...

 Luna:...I only feel this way when I'm with you.

 The illusions disappeared and he took Luna in his arms. A few minutes later, they were together in the middle of the herd of Thestrals (thestral) which they fed and tended as they often did before sitting down on a nearby stone.

 Ron: You have become quite strong, I am very proud of you my dear. Mastering all these spells perfectly at our age is a great feat.

 Luna: Thank you but it was you who made us learn them with ease, you could become a legendary teacher and the best mage of all time.

 Ron: I'm not interested. There are so many beautiful things and exceptional creatures to discover, ancient magic to bring back or extraordinary places to see. I want to find them all across the world and with you by my side.

 Luna: That's what I want too, Ron...I love you. I feel different when I'm with you. Let's have our own world all to ourselves.

 Ron: We already have it. Perhaps later, our world will expand...

 Luna: I've already seen what our future will look like and it's like a dream.

 Ron: Girl, seeing the future is almost impossible, unless...

 Luna: ...unless it's an innate gift in divination. You taught it to me yourself and I read a lot too. It turns out that for my part I discovered this gift in myself…

 Ron: Do you realize that this is an extremely rare thing...?! What you saw ? How did you do ?

 Luna: It actually just happened while I was doing divination exercises at home. You gave me this crystal ball for Christmas in our fourth year and I practiced with what you taught me. Ron, I don't want to tell you anything for fear of ruining everything.

 Ron: So why did you tell me that?! Now I'm dying of curiosity...

 Luna: It was to tease you...

 They stopped talking to look into each other's eyes for more than ten seconds before they started kissing, they had reached a level of visual and non-verbal communication.

 Later, Ron went to Dumbledore's office with Harry and they found Arthur, Sirius, Lupin, Kingsley and Moody waiting for them.

 Ron: Professor? Why are my father and the order here?

 Dumbledore: Severus and I talked and decided that he no longer needed to be a double agent. He will be a full-time part of the order now.

 Harry: Double agent? I had already heard that he was a member of the order but what is this double agent thing?

 Arthur: It's a long story that we've just been told ourselves.

 Sirius: Harry, there are things you need to know about James your father and us his friends growing up. Snape, your mother and we have had many disagreements.

 Ron: Professor Snape, I am very happy with your decision. I'll help you remove your mark on your arm.

 Snape: I'll do it myself...thanks Weasley...

 "Did he just say thank to me ??!!!!!!" Ron asked Harry as the two had shocked looks.

 Dumbledore: Ronald, have you finished your work? Time is running out...

 Ron: I've been ready for a while and have already prepared the spell.

 Dumbledore: Why didn't you say anything?

 Ron: Professor, you and I underestimated my laziness.

 Dumbledore:…

 Ron: I'm willing to use the tracking spell on all the Horcruxes, but the Gaunt ring alone won't be enough to make it work safely. I need another Horcrux to maximize our chances, professor.

 Dumbledore: Lucky for us, I found another one while you were working on your own. The place would be dangerous for others but for you and me it might be okay.

 Ron: We'll leave right away then.

 Arthur: Wait a minute young man, what is this horcrux story?

 Dumbledore: Time is running out Arthur, we have to leave. Severus will stay to explain this part to you, for you Harry it is also very important. Things have been hidden from you and you have the right to know.

 Ron: Don't worry dad, I'll protect Professor Dumbledore in case of danger.

 Them :…

 "Let's go old man, we have a treasure hunt to do" He placed his hand on Dumbledore's shoulder who laughed in amusement before both of them disappeared.

 Everyone else looked at Severus who sighed before calmly asking Harry to follow him and they headed towards the pensieve.

 Dumbledore and Ron reappeared on a rock near a cliff where the sea was very rough.

 In front of them there was a cave on the bottom of the cliff a fairly large distance separated them from the cave and between them was the raging sea.

 Ron: Is it over there...?

 Dumbledore: Absolutely.

 Ron: Have you ever been there?

 Dumbledore: That's right.

 Ron: Why didn't you just spawn us there instead of that rock?

 Dumbledore:…

 Ron: Thanks to you, my shoes and the bottom of my pants are wet.

 Dumbledore: Stop complaining Weasley, we have an important thing to do.

 "Pfffff" Ron pouted before flying very quickly towards the cave leaving only the trail of his afterglow figure behind.

 "This child..." Dumbledore massaged his temple before apparating to find him.

 Dumbledore: What was that spell ?! It's too fast to be levitation.

 Ron: It's a magical three-dimensional movement in space. I can project myself in the direction I want in the air or on the ground. It's different from flying and it's much faster although requiring enormous concentration, not difficult for me that said.

 "You are truly frightening my young friend" Dumbledore said before moving forward into the cave where they both sensed restrictive dark magic with a wall of rock in the way.

 Ron: Restriction magic.

 "Put here to weaken the intruders" Dumbledore said before cutting his hand and rubbing his blood on the wall which disappeared, Ron frowned and looked at him strangely.

 Ron: Professor you-(interrupted)

 Dumbledore: It was up to me, your blood is much more precious than mine and you are the future Weasley...

 Ron: No, what I meant was that I could ward off this spell easily without any bloodshed. Anyway…let's go.

 Dumbledore:…

 He walked past leaving Dumbledore just looking at him. They advanced into a dark and damp place.

 "Lumos" Dumbledore cast the spell to light and the light sphere lit up to show the large cave with dark water at the bottom with in the distance a platform made of Crystals including one that was a little higher than the others.

 Ron: Water...more water.

 Dumbledore: The object is over there. All we need to know is how to get there.

 "He says that seriously ?" Ron muttered looking at Dumbledore in incomprehension as the old man reached out as if to grab an objectif underwater but Ron grabbed his shoulder to teleport them straight to the platform.

 Dumbledore: By Merlin's beard...WEASLEY!

 Ron: You're welcome!

 They approached the large Crystal which turned out to be hollow and saw inside a necklace, it was Salazar Slytherin's necklace and as they wanted to take it, it disappeared so that the hollow fill with a green mixture.

 Ron: What is that again?

 Dumbledore: We must drink it to the last drop.

 Ron moved closer and sniffed the mixture.

 Ron: Ugh! Emerald Green Potion, otherwise known as the Potion of Despair. This filth is a poison that causes nightmares and despair in addition to dehydrating the user.

 Dumbledore: That's right, I'm going to drink it and no matter what I tell you you have to force me to drink it, even if I beg you to-(stop). WEASLEY!!

 Ron was already drinking his second glass of the potion with the shell lying nearby.

 Dumbledore: WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU RECKLESS CHILD !!?

 Ron: Professor, this poison is a terrifying curse that affects the mind, but for that, it needs to penetrate the drinker's mind. My god, the taste is truly awful...

 Dumbledore: This has no effect on you?

 Ron: Oh yes! (drinks) only (drinks) my mind is impenetrable Professor. *beeeuuurp* This requires a level of mental discipline normally impossible to achieve, this is occlumency of an inhuman level...

 Dumbledore: How is that possible?! At such a young age...?!

 Ron continued to drink and once it was over, he felt an awful thirst overcome him and he urgently needed water. He sat down heavily before snapping his fingers when a chalice appeared in the void.

 Ron was literally shaking with thirst when Dumbledore magically filled the small cup with cool water and Ron began to drink.

 They repeated this four times and Dumbledore went to take the necklace finally available while Ron who now had a pressing urge went to urinate on the water below.

 "It's a fake..." Ron was experiencing heaven as he unloaded the golden liquid when Dumbledore's voice was heard from behind.

 Ron: Sorry?!

 Dumbledore: It's a fake, someone came and took the real necklace and replaced it with a replica. He left a letter inside.

 Ron:…

 He was so angry that he didn't say anything but as he went back up to read the letter, he felt his leg being grabbed by something.

 Surprised, he looked down to watch a skinny undead hold his leg tightly.

 *BAM*

 "CUNT..." Ron gave it a hard kick to the head which sent the thing back into the water but more and more creatures like it started coming out of the water.

 "LUMOS MAXIMA" Ron sent the sphere of light into the water to see hundreds of decomposed and reanimated corpses coming up from the depths and his reaction was more than rapid.

 "frigidi maxima" He said coldly and a white ray came out of his wand to come into contact with the water which froze at a very high speed down to its depth thus freezing all the dead below in ice .

 Dumbledore, through fire, had already eliminated the few undead who had risen.

 Dumbledore: You are truly powerful my young friend, you never cease to impress me.

 Ron: They were Inferi !!!

 Dumbledore: That's right, the corpses of the Dark Lord's victims whom he bewitched to serve him. They certainly date from the first war given their level of decomposition.

 "It's truly disgusting ! Please show me this letter Professor…" He asked and Dumbledore handed him the letter. Ron sat down to read while at the end a vein was visible on his forehead from his anger.

 Ron: Who is this R.A.B ?! He made me drink this disgusting poison for nothing! Do you have any idea who he could be?

 Dumbledore: I don't think so, we should return to the others. Our coming here is a failure.

 Ron reached up to grab his hand and they disappeared back to the front of the school. There were too many people in the office to materialize there for fear of dying by merging with the surroundings.