Chapter 71: The Galleon
As it turned out, Ron did collapse, but not in the way Ryan had anticipated. It happened quite predictably, in fact.
Reacting with instinct honed by countless drills, Ryan found he couldn't stop the Stunning Spell already forming on his lips. A jet of red light shot from his wand, and Ron crumpled to the floor, unconscious.
The only sound in the corridor was the echo of his last words: "...I'm sorry! I was wrong!"
Ron Weasley lay stunned on the flagstones.
Ryan Welles stood in a state of utter bewilderment.
And from a nearby shadow, Albus Dumbledore emerged.
"What did he just say?" Ryan asked, certain he must have misheard. He had braced himself for Voldemort to use Ron's mouth to taunt him before an attack, but for Ron to simply… collapse after an apology? That was the truly unexpected part. Even as a feint, it was a move far too humiliating for the likes of Lord Voldemort.
"If my ears don't deceive me," Dumbledore said, gliding forward, "I believe Mr. Weasley said, 'I'm sorry, I was wrong.'"
"The symptoms… they were identical to Professor Quirrell's that night," Ryan said, running a hand over his face. "Does this mean… we were completely mistaken?"
"Perhaps we should wake Mr. Weasley first and ask him what's been going on," Dumbledore suggested. He raised a hand, and Ron's body floated up from the floor. Without another visible action from the Headmaster, Ron stirred and his eyes fluttered open.
"Headmaster!" Ron blinked, his vision clearing. The person standing before him wasn't Ryan, but Dumbledore himself. His head was spinning. What had happened? He had come to apologize to Ryan, hadn't he? He tried to recall the last few moments, but everything after saying "I'm sorry" was a complete blank. It was as if he had simply ceased to exist for a moment. Did I faint from sheer embarrassment? he wondered. Am I really that noble? Even he didn't believe it.
"Ron, you just said you were wrong," Ryan's voice came from behind him. "What was that all about?"
Ron jumped, whirling around to see Ryan now standing where he'd just been a moment ago.
"Pro—Professor Welles!" he stammered. "I… I wanted to say… I've said some things that I shouldn't have." He quickly waved his hands, as if to ward off a misunderstanding. "But it wasn't really me! It felt like—"
Ron's words tumbled out in a jumbled, incoherent mess. His face was flushed crimson, his expression a mixture of panic and desperation. He was so flustered that he failed to notice Ryan had shifted his stance, turning his body slightly to the side. A master duelist would have recognized the posture instantly as a defensive measure to minimize one's target area.
But even if he had known, the implication would never have occurred to Ron. He couldn't imagine himself being a threat worthy of Ryan Welles's caution. In Ron's mind, even his infuriatingly perfect brother, Percy, was someone whose abilities he had to respect. He secretly dreamed of being like Percy—a prefect, maybe even Head Boy—earning the admiration of the entire school. And Percy held Ryan in the highest possible regard, a fact he'd heard countless times both at school and at the Burrow.
That was why he had been so stunned and envious on the Hogwarts Express when he learned Ryan had performed a prophecy for Harry Potter. The idea that he, Ron Weasley, could ever pose a danger to him was simply unthinkable.
Ryan, for his part, was beginning to have his doubts. As he listened to the stammering young wizard, he thought that surely Voldemort's taste wasn't this poor. At the very least, he'd be able to form a coherent sentence. He and Dumbledore exchanged a look; neither of them could make any sense of Ron's frantic explanation. All they could discern were repeated phrases about being "forced," "innocent," and "not in his right mind."
Seeing they were getting nowhere, Ryan felt a familiar voice brush against his consciousness—Dumbledore's. What do you make of this, Ryan?
He focused his thoughts in reply. He's not making much sense, but we can piece it together. It's possible Voldemort was influencing him, but has since left. At the very least, he isn't in Ron now.
But where is he, then?
The question hung silently between them.
Suddenly, a specific detail in Ron's rambling caught their attention.
He said that not long after the start of term, he had found a Gold Galleon. Finding a coin wasn't unusual, but according to Ron, this one was different from the Galleons in circulation. It looked ancient, like an old piece of goblin-made currency.
"That Galleon… it had this strange power," Ron said in a small voice. "It helped me learn spells I never thought I could master."
"I don't know what it was, but I just… I felt so confident—"
"You felt that everyone should respect you," Ryan finished for him, seeing him struggle. "That they should admire you, and hang on your every word?"
Ron gave a minuscule nod, his face burning with shame as he remembered his behavior. "It was like I was cursed, or possessed…"
Ryan knew the boy was downplaying it. From what he'd seen, Ron hadn't just been "confident"; he had been supremely arrogant, acting as if the entire world should bend to his will. That kind of personality shift was a massive red flag. He glanced at Dumbledore, who gave a slight dip of his head, confirming Ryan's suspicions. The Galleon was the key.
"I do not believe this is as grave a matter as you fear, Mr. Weasley," Ryan said, his tone softening to soothe the boy's frayed nerves. The last thing he wanted was for this experience to leave a permanent scar. "It is a rare young wizard who can distinguish true danger from simple temptation. Many outstanding witches and wizards have been led astray by his influence. You have no reason to feel ashamed."
"On the contrary," Dumbledore added, his eyes twinkling. "The fact that you were able to break free from the influence of a sentient magical artifact proves you possess the fearless courage of a true Gryffindor. I believe that is something to be proud of. For that bravery alone, I award Gryffindor ten points."
Ron looked slightly less terrified.
"What happened to the Galleon, Ron?" Dumbledore asked gently.
The Headmaster's praise and the house points seemed to have calmed him, but at this final, crucial question, he hesitated again.
"Can you… can you not tell my family?" he pleaded, the image of his parents' explosive anger clearly playing out in his mind.
"Trust me, Ron, your parents care for you more than you can imagine," Dumbledore said kindly. "When they learn of this, they will not be angry. They will be worried. However, if you insist, I will not be the one to speak with Arthur and Molly."
Ryan remained silent. There was no chance the school would keep something like this from a student's parents. Dumbledore's carefully worded promise meant only one thing: he, Ryan Welles, would be the one tasked with delivering the bad news.
"Thank you, Headmaster," Ron said, relieved. "Please don't tell them. What happened was..."
~~~
Get early access to 40+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn