Author's note: "obstantia ultima" is Latin for "final confrontation."

He heard whimpering from one of the children.

It sounded like the girl, who had crawled out from her hiding space to sit beside Jack. Ron turned his head ever so slightly to look at her, careful not to be too obvious about it and draw attention back to the children; he knew he had to do whatever he could in his power to keep Pansy's ire directed his way.

He could see that the girl was shaking--trembling so violently that Jack had to put his arm around her to get her to stop. And eventually, she did seem to pull herself together. She had stopped whimpering now, but there were pools in her eyes: tears she had swallowed, presumably, so Pansy would not hear her crying and unleash her anger on her. From the bruises on the girl's pale arms--Ron had to shut his eyes at the sight of them--it was clear Pansy had given her plenty of reason to fear retaliation of any sort.

Pansy must have expected him to be afraid as well. But he would be damned if he was going to show her even a flicker of trepidation.

"Do you want to know what happens to bad children?" she said, her voice cold and maniacal, drunk with her borrowed powers.

His thoughts went back to the children, to their cuts and bruises. He almost answered her--almost--but didn't.

"My, my," she said, "you don't seem quite as bold now as you had been just a minute ago..."

She was circling him all the while as she spoke, like a vulture circling a carcass. Then she leaned in close. "You didn't answer my question," she said. "I'm disappointed. You're all supposed to be the best and the brightest. The most talented witches and wizards at your schools... And yet you can't even answer a simple question for me?"

Ron stared hard at her and said, "Why are you doing this?"

She laughed, and for a moment, he got a glimpse of the young schoolgirl he had once known. It was a laugh she had used often, whenever she found the need to make a derogatory comment against Hermione--which was often, especially when she was with Draco.

"Why am I doing this?" she repeated, as if utterly fascinated with the question. "You mean to tell me that none of you have deduced it yet?"

She reached into the pockets of Ron's robes and drew out his wand, then held it up before him, taunting him with it.

"You Mudbloods don't deserve to have magic flowing through your veins," she sneered. "Do you know what you are? You're freaks of nature! You're freaks who never should been allowed to unlock the ancient secrets of witchcraft and wizardry!! But I am going to be the one to correct nature's mistake..."

"You're jealous!"

One of her eyes twitched in the shock of being talked back to, especially by such a fragile-looking boy such as himself, whom, Ron knew all too well, she could probably snap in half like a twig without even using any kind of magic at all.

"That's it, isn't it?" he said again. "You're jealous of us! You're jealous of our powers-"

"Shut up, you little brat!!"

She grabbed him where his shoulder met his neck, and though he had fought to stifle it, Ron couldn't help but let out a strangled cry. She laughed at his reaction.

"Not so brave now, are you?"

"Let me go!!"

Sian Price begin to whimper again. Ron wanted to shush her himself, if only to protect her from this madwoman who would no doubt lash out at her without hesitation.

"Let... go!!"

But she only tightened her grasp, and he could feel her nails digging into his skin, drawing blood. Then, without any warning, she released him, throwing him forward, then tossing his wand carelessly into the corner where it rolled towards the children. He saw Jack snatch it without Pansy noticing.

Ron grimaced when he straightened. He had tried to brace his fall with his hands but couldn't, and he had heard a horrific crack when he'd hit the floor. A familiar pain was now shooting up his leg, the very same leg he had broken once before--in another body--when he was fourteen years old.

"It's your lucky day, then," she said. "I won't punish you just yet..."

Ron clenched his jaw and tried not to utter any kind of sound that might give away the torment he was in at that moment, but he could feel sweat gathering near his temples, and he knew his skin must have turned into a ghastly, pale green color by now. The smile that formed on her face confirmed his suspicions.

"Don't worry, dear boy, you will be taught your lesson later."

He saw her throw a glance at his leg, and suddenly he wished he hadn't been holding it to control the throbbing.

"But first, I'll have to claim what's rightfully mine..."

She walked towards him again, slowly, as if knowing that by prolonging the inevitable, she would be prolonging the torture. It was when she had almost reached him that he saw it: a strange, blue glow coming from the pendant in her necklace. He hadn't noticed it before now, but the pendant that dangled from the chain was shaped like a tiny bottle, and when she came closer, he realized there was something in it.

It wasn't liquid though, nor was it solid. It swirled inside the pendant, like a thick whirl of fog, and its glow was becoming stronger and brighter by the second, the closer she came to him.

"And now," she said, her eyes showing no mercy or remorse whatsoever, "you'll prove just how much you're worth to me..."

Her laughter was the last thing he remembered before she grabbed her hands and forced them onto her pendant, and a mighty jolt ripped through his body like an electric current, a force so wicked and unexpected that it threw him onto the ground and left him gasping for air.

Then he felt every cell in his body grow numb, as his magic slowly left him.

Hermione hadn't said anything since they'd left the villa.

Harry recognized that look she had. He knew it quite well, seen it so many times--more times than he cared to remember. It was the look she had had on her face when the White Queen had attacked Ron all those years ago on the living chess board, and when Sirius had dragged Ron down to the Whomping Willow where he vanished before their eyes.

And when Ron had lain unconscious in a hospital bed, after a vicious encounter with a werewolf had left him nearly dead.

She hadn't said anything, but Harry knew exactly where and what her thoughts were.

"Are you sure you're up to this, Hermione?" he said gently, patting her arm.

She didn't look back at him, nor did she say anything; she merely nodded, her face set and resolute. Where she was drawing her strength from, he would never know.

"Is this where he disappeared?" Ginny said. She was pointing to a spot where the footprints suddenly came to a stop.

"Yes," Harry said grimly. "I tried to get there in time, but the cloak got caught on this..."

He kicked the offending root, as if punishing it would have made a difference. Ginny's eyes weren't on the root, however; they were on the rock right beside it, still stained with his dried blood. She took a deep, shaky breath, then manage to compose herself.

"By the time I did get to them... it was too late..."

He saw Hermione looking at the spot where Ron had disappeared. Wind had blown leaves over the area, almost obscuring the tangle of footprints that came to a halt there, but she couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from it, as if half-expecting Ron to materialize from the shadows again, with their son by his side.

"You said you struggled with her, right?" she said. It was the first time she had spoken since they had come here. Her voice was so quiet, so somber, that it barely carried over the hissing of the winds.

Harry nodded. "Both Ron and I did... But he just didn't have the strength to fight her off..."

He paused there, knowing that saying the words would only serve to aggravate the open wound.

"There must be some kind of clue," Ginny said finally. "Harry, what else do you remember? Anything else about the necklace? What happened when you tried to touch it?"

"Nothing," he said. "That's just it. I thought for sure I'd disappear along with them if I touched it too, but nothing happened..."

"Did they disappear when they touched the necklace?"

His head hurt from trying to reproduce the memories. They were still hazy, like bits out of a foggy dream.

"I... think so... But I could be wrong... It all happened so fast, and by then I was bleeding and my head was spinning..."

"Was there anything else they touched? Could something else have been used as the portkey?"

Harry shook his head. "It's possible, I guess," he said. "I don't really remember anything standing out though..."

"So it could have been the Surripere spell," Ginny murmured.

"It's the only other explanation," Harry said. "If there was no portkey, there had to be another way for her to disappear with him..."

Ginny didn't answer at first, then after a while, she let out a frustrated cry that obviously had been building for some time now.

"Damn it! We're running out of time!! Who knows what she could be doing to Ron right now, while we stand here trying to figure out how she got away..."

She looked back at him, her voice cracking when she spoke again.

"What if she..."

"Look!!"

Startled, Harry and Ginny broke apart and turned their heads to the direction of Hermione's voice. Hermione was kneeling on the ground now, and seemed to be rummaging through the leaves and twigs that covered Ron's footprints.

"I thought I saw something a few seconds ago," she said, frantically rubbing away dirt and rock. "I know it's here, it has to... here!! Here it is!!"

She looked up at them, mud streaked on her face and caked in her hair, but her eyes wild with excitement. She held up her hand, and Harry could see she was holding something, but couldn't quite make out what it was. He and Ginny came closer to get a better look, then he heard Ginny gasp beside him when they had gotten close enough.

It was a wand.

"This wasn't the one Stefan was using," Hermione said.

"No, it's not," Ginny said. "His was Willow... I remember it being Willow..." She took it from Hermione. "This one is Mahogany..."

She looked up , her eyes locking with Harry's, and he knew exactly what she was thinking.

"Could it be.. maybe this is her wand?"

Hermione slowly came to standing.

"And if it is... then we might be able to recreate the last spell she did," she said. "If she did use the Surripere spell to take Ron... we might be able to recreate it..."

Harry could see the last remaining sparks of hope dance in her eyes when she looked to him, as if silently asking for his consent. At last he nodded, then took the wand from her when she handed it to him.

"We have to do this," he said. "All of us. If this spell is really as powerful as you say it is, I can't do this alone..." He held the wand out in front of him, and looked at both of them. "Ready?"

Ginny nodded, then Hermione did as well. They closed their hands around the wand, and together, took one last breath.

"Priori Incantato..."

Ron was sure he was dead. He knew that technically he was alive, but he also knew this must have been what death felt like. His arms were beginning to tingle, the first time since she had drained him of his powers that he was beginning to get feeling back in his limbs.

But he felt like hell.

Slowly he tried to sit up, but it was a struggle just to dig his elbow into the ground to prop himself up. He forced his eyelids open, and saw that Pansy was standing over him, watching him with great interest.

"Delicate little thing, aren't you?" she said, nonchalantly kicking him back down. From the corner of his eye, he saw Jack flinch in response. "That was nothing... Only a taste of what's to come..."

God in heaven... If this is what she had done to the children...

"Yes, Herr Kohl, your powers will regenerate soon enough," she said. "Just in time for me to milk them again..."

Ron wheezed, trying once again to sit up. He had regained the use of the muscles in his upper body at least, though his legs were still numb. Now that he thought about it, that might not be such a bad thing after all, since he could see that the swelling in his broken leg had gotten much worse in the last few minutes, and he knew that once he got feeling back in his legs, it would hurt like hell.

Pansy turned to the children, who had been sufficiently frightened into silence once again.

"Don't worry dears, you'll get your turns soon..."

Her mouth curved into a disturbing smile, and she sought Jack out specifically, then reached over to tilt his chin up with her index finger.

"Especially you, my little prize," she said. Ron made a move to lunge at her, but could barely manage more than an insignificant spasm in his upper body. "You are your Mudblood mother's son, aren't you?"

"Don't you dare call her that!!"

Ron's heart leapt to his throat. Jack's outburst seemed to surprise everyone in the room, especially Pansy. Ron watched her closely, ready to sever his own numb, broken, useless leg if he had to in order to keep her from laying one finger on his son.

But she seemed more amused than angry--and that made Ron all the more nervous.

"How brave and noble you are," she said, voice dripping with derision. "Don't you know what happens, though, to those who try to play hero?"

"I don't care if you hurt me," Jack snarled. "I won't let you talk about my mother like that!! She's a better witch than you'll ever be!!

Pansy laughed. "Told you that, did she?" she said. "Your mother never could resist showing off. Always had to be the best in everything--earn the top mark, cast the best spell... But look what it got her. A son whose talents are about to become his undoing-"

Ron saw her reach inside her robes, and he knew he had to act quickly. The tingle in his muscles had grown into full sensations now, and there was just enough adrenaline that pumped through his system in that moment to give him the burst of strength he needed.

"NOOO!!!!"

Pansy never saw him coming. She fell back as he burst onto her, knocking her to the ground. In her shock, she didn't have time to fight off his weight, but she recovered quickly enough and aimed her closed fist at his jaw. Ron somehow managed to duck out of the way, however, and this further sent her into a tailspin.

"That is the last time you play me for a fool, boy!" she screamed. "This time you will see the full extent of my powers!!"

She shoved a hand inside her pockets, and Ron was fully prepared for whatever curse she would throw his way now. But nothing happened. He watched as her face twisted in horror, as she dug her hand in deeper, but still found nothing there.

Her wand was gone.

"No... No..."

She turned to him again, seething and trembling with rage.

"I don't need a damn wand to destroy you," she hissed. "I can do it with my powers alone!" She brought her hand over him. "CRUCIO!!"

Excruciating pain tore through his body in the next instant, a thousand times more terrible than what she had unleashed on him before, and his head burst with a scream that seemed to fill the entire room. He forced his eyes open, but vision was coming in and out of focus.

She was still standing over him, her hand still raised over his body, her laughter echoing and bounding off the walls.

She was standing close, so close. If he could just reach up...

Gritting his teeth, he shot up his hand and managed to grab hold of the chain that dangled from her neck. She gasped in shock, her fingers closing around his hand and crushing them, trying to get him to let go.

But he wasn't going to let go. She would have to break his bloody fingers if she wanted him to let go.

He pulled and tugged at the chain, but still couldn't seem to gather strength enough to get it off. She fought him hard, gagging as she tried to choke out another spell.

"Cru... cio..."

Again, pain pounded him, but somehow he managed to resist falling into blackness.

Then he saw it. Fear in her eyes. He wasn't sure what brought it on, until he heard Jack's stunned cry.

"Dad!!"

His fingers were lengthening before his eyes. The potion was wearing off.

"What the..."

Pansy watched in horror as the transformation slowly unfolded, temporarily forgetting to fight him off.

"Dad, it's you!!"

And then he heard another familiar voice.

"Ron!!"

That was Hermione. He heard Hermione's voice. Or perhaps he was hallucinating, but there was no time to register anything. With one last burst of strength, he yanked at the chain, sending the pendant crashing to the ground, where it shattered and burst into flames.

Pansy's horrific shrieking soon pierced their eardrums, and with his last bit of power now spent, Ron collapsed onto the floor.

"No!! Ron!!!"

"Mum!!!!"

"Jack?"

Hermione bolted towards him and pulled him into her arms, sobs wracking her body as she held him, and Ginny went straight for Slava and Sian, whispering healing spells over their cuts and bruises.

"Get away from them!!" Pansy screamed. "Get away-"

Harry managed to restrain her before she could make another move.

"Let go!! Let go of me... Crucio!! CRUCIO!!!!"

But her words failed to produce even the tiniest of sparks.

"CRUCIO!!!!!!!!"

"It's over!" Harry told her, tightening his grip. "You're finished, Pansy..."

"No!! Let go of me, damn you!!"

Ron stirred, groaning as he felt his muscles protesting even the slightest of movements.

"Ron!!" Hermione cried out. "Don't move..."

She ran to his side, gently sliding her hands underneath his head to cradle it.

"Hermione..."

"Shh... Don't try to talk..."

Ron let out a weak laugh, though his chest felt as if a herd of Hippogriffs were dancing the jig on it.

"Any excuse you have... for keeping me quiet... you just grab onto it... don't you?"

She laughed, tears flowing down her face as she did.

"I found him," he whispered. "I told you I'd find him..."

"I know..." She pressed her lips to her forehead, running her hand through his hair. "I knew you would..."

He tried to lift his head. "Where's my son? Where's Jack?"

"Right here... I'm right here, Dad..."

Ron forced himself to sit up, Hermione holding onto his arms as he did, then he reached for Jack and pulled him into an embrace, not even caring for one second that everyone could see he was openly crying.

"I knew you'd come for me, Dad," Jack said. "I knew you and Mum would find me..."

"'Course we would..."

He turned to Hermione.

"Let me at her," he said.

"Ron no..."

"Hermione... please let me do this."

She looked as if she would rather swallow shards of broken glass than let him do this, but finally, she nodded, offering her arm for support. Harry did the same, and Ron managed to stand, putting all his weight onto his good leg.

Pansy seemed to be waiting for him to say something to her. Her eyes drilled into him, filled with bitterness and defeat. She was still restrained, her wrists bound by invisible chords that Harry had produced with the restraining spell Ron had once taught him.

"Not quite so feisty anymore, are you?" Ron said.

"You can gloat all you want," she spat out. "You can lock me up in Azkaban until I rot, but you mark my words, this will not be the last time your child is in danger-"

"That's enough!!"

She smiled. "There will be others after me, Weasley. I promise you that. Your Mudbloods will never be safe..."

"We'll see about that, won't we?"

Ron leaned in close, enjoying the sight of beads of sweat materializing on her forehead as he did.

"And I promise you, Pansy," he said, making sure to enunciate every syllable, "you will pay for what you did. You will never, ever be able to hurt anyone again."

He would make damn sure of it.