Lesson's Learned 2: Gone but not forgotten

Chapter 5 Things are looking up

 **Hey guys hope you enjoy, A/N @ bottom**

                                                ~June 1998, Gryffindor Common Room~

   Ron sat in his favorite arm chair by the fire as the sound of mindless chatter filled the common room. His gaze was contemplative as it rested on his ex. It seemed, without Harry around, the end was inevitable. For a year and a half after he was taken, they had tried to make it work. Things just didn’t seem to want to. For the time being, they had decided to call it quits and Hermione threw herself so into studying their Newts that she ate, drank, and slept reviews. After much nagging, or at her ‘suggestion’, Ron also dug his heals in and worked hard. Having just finished his second to last exam, he was highly- grateful for the fact. If the test had been six months sooner he would’ve failed impressively, as it were, he felt he truly did very well on a whole.

   A small smile flitted across his face. His mother really could use a spot of good news. It seemed him and Ginny were the only ones of the family not harmed recently, not counting Quidditch injuries.

  Back in February Percy was in the midst of his continuing insight into the Ministry, when a small group of junior death eaters entered the Ministry and proceeded to curse the lifts. An elderly lady from the Foreign Correspondence Agency was killed when as the lift slammed bodily into the cement bottom of the elevator. By the time the mediwizards made it to them, she was already gone and Percy was lying prone on the ground, a deep gash across the left side of his head. They healed the wound and other breaks and bruises from the fall, but they were unable to wake him. As of right now he’s still in a coma being treated in one of the Order safe houses, a trained medi-witch looking in on him every other day for any changes. Molly, Arthur and the other siblings taking turns sitting with him when not on a mission.

   Charlie, with his dragon experience, has been going from dragon reserve to dragon reserve; Albus hoping he would be able to find those who would be willing to step in and help once the war escalated. Many dragon riders, those with the blood of a dragon rider running through their veins, are able to communicate with their dragon. The dragons and their riders would strategically give good aerial advantage along with the scare tactic. This had actually been going incredibly well, just having to spend one month at each as custom. Unfortunately, a certain Voldemort sympathizer/dragon ride, didn’t seem to like the added advantages. Actually intending to do much the same thing to gain favor with the Dark Lord, he decided to help end the recruitment by having his dragon attempt to barbecue Charlie. Another rider in the vicinity alerted others for help and they were able to apprehend the man and dragon in under a minute but the damage was done. All spots not covered by fire resistant riding gear received third degree burns, while in some spots were further damaged by the fire melting the material into his skin. After 2 months of intensive potions and healing spells he was able to go right back to work, shiny pink scars giving evidence of the agony he suffered.   

The twins also nearly lost their lives. An unknown death eater imperiused one of the helpers in the shop and while testing an undetectable and infinite invisibility potion, Verity was made to place a highly disastrous ingredient into the concoction. Each minute they spent invisible, more and more of their magical core was being drained. Eventually they would have been turned squib or most likely died after such a quick and steady dispersing of magical energy. Lee subdued the woman and fire-called Severus, knowing he was the twins best bet at survival. Indeed, within twenty minutes and not a moment too soon, he was able to identify the mysterious ingredient and concoct an antidote.

Bitter irony, not to be forgotten, Bill seemed unable to escape his fate. In France, recruiting with his wife, they were attacked by a group of werewolves and the one and only Fenrir. They both held their own and diminished over half the groups numbers before Fenrir attacked Bill from behind, latching onto his neck and laughing as felt Bill weaken. Thinking quickly, Bill withdrew a Weasley Whiz-Bang firework and shoved it down the weres’ throat. Without thinking, Fenrir swallowed. Shoving the red head away as he began to choke, Bill took a minute to breath before igniting the firework. In a macabre explosion of lights and matter, Fenrir was no more.