After reaching the station, Ronan bid farewell to everyone and went to find Blaise. He found him in one of the compartments, sitting with Daphne and Pancy. He entered and passed them a smile.

“Everyone,” he greeted them rather cheerfully, “I hope that your holidays went better than mine,” he said as he sat down beside Daphne, while Blaise and Pancy were sitting on opposite seats.

“Well someone is in a good mood,” Pancy commented, “What happened to Johanson? Did little Weasley give you a peck on your lips?” Blaise started sniggering.

He rolled his eyes. Rumors had spread throughout the Slytherins that he had a thing for Ginny, just because he went to the chamber of secrets to get her back. And he had a suspicion that Pancy had a big hand in the rumor.

“No, he is just happy to see us,” Daphne said, “Considering the company that he had been living with for the past couple of days,” He nodded, Daphne understood him better than these two.

While Pancy and Blaise gave Daphne a look. “What?” Daphne asked.

“What company?” Blaise asked.

“Well the Weasley siblings, along with Potter, Granger, and Longbottom had been living in my house for the past three days.” He said nonchalantly.

“Really?” Blaise asked, but for some reason, he was staring at Daphne during the encounter, “And you told this to Daphne, instead of me.. You best mate?”

Ronan didnt notice at the time, but Daphne's ears turned red with embarrassment. Pancy sniggered seeing this, while he shrugged and nonchalantly spoke, “Yeah so? Daphne and I just communicate a lot,”

“Really?” Pancy asked with a smirk on her face. He did notice her tone, “Yeah so?”

“Nothing…” Pancy said, wiping a smirk off her face.

“Ronan,” Daphne called him, he turned towards her, “Forget about her. Tell me about Sirius Black. You didnt mention anything about him in the letters. Even when I asked you about him. What is up with that?”

He looked at his friends, everyone was eager to know about the situation. With a swipe of his fingers, he closed the door of the cabin. Then Ronan stared at Pancy, “Pancy, although I love your antics, and consider you a good friend. There are a few things that I won't forgive. And if you even utter some words of what I am about to tell you, to anyone else, I will make sure that you will regret crossing me for the rest of your days in Hogwarts.”

Pancy was taken aback by his threat, but she waved him off, “Oh relax… As much I like to gossip, I know who to cross and whom not to,”

He smiled, “Good girl,” As he proceeded to tell them about Harry’s late parent's death and his connection with Sirius Black, the train took and they all started their journey to Hogwarts…

After he was done, he looked around, everyone was sitting in silence, absorbing what he had told them.

“As much as I hate Potter and his friends… I feel bad for the guy,” Blaise was the first one to speak. “If getting your parents kill was not bad enough, now that boy has a psychopath coming after his ass.”

They all nodded, when Daphne suddenly asked a very weird question, “Ronan, what do you think about..” She whispered the last part, “You-know-who?”

“What about him?” he asked.

Blaise then leaned closer, “Well… like.. How do you feel about him? You know what he had done, and what his purpose was. What do think about him?”

He thought about it for a moment, and then truthfully answered, “He was a truly narcissistic and pompous fellow. And quite a bit of idiot as well.”

Pancy scoffed, “Idiot? Many people think that he was a brilliant man.”

He rolled his eyes at her, “That is where everyone is wrong.”

“And you are right?” Pancy asked.

“Yup. And I can prove it as well.” Ronan said.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“How?” Daphne asked.

He leaned back and spoke, “Think about it for a second. You all know what a monkey is, right?” They all nodded. “Imagine, if you are on an island that is full of monkeys. So if I were to tell you, that you have to take control of that island. By control, I mean that you will have to make sure that everyone on the island is under your control. How will you do it.. Granted if you can use all of your powers and wand.”

They all looked at each other. Blaise then spoke, “I dont know… maybe Confundus or Imperius curse?”

He shook his head, “Well that just can't work. How do you think that you will be able to cast a Confundus or an Imperius on every monkey simultaneously?”

Daphne then suggested, “Maybe a love potion? We can feed the monkey love potion and they would obey our every command, blindly.”

“True.” He nodded, “If you take enough precautions, potions could work. But you will have to feed it over and over again. And that is not very viable.”

“Wait, we are getting off-topic here,” Pancy said, “You said that you will prove that you-know-who is an idiot,”

He rolled his eyes, “Apply my question to our wizarding world. You want to rule the wizarding world. What do you do?”

They all looked at each other, so he decided to tell then them the truth, “Voldemort was an idiot because his approach was wrong,” Everyone was taken aback because he said you-know-who’s true name. But he didnt mind it and continued “Because he wanted to get rid of the muggle-borns and half-bloods. Considering the large number of muggles in the world, it was very foolish to kill wizards and witches just out of spite. They could become allies. Considering our small numbers he would have needed every help that he could get,”

He then continued, “Then comes the way Voldemort handled everything else. Grindelwald was smart enough to take part in the election for the International Confederation of Wizards' Supreme Mugwump. Because he knew, that if he wanted to change the hearts of people opposing him, he would need to be in the seat of power. Voldemort could have opted for the same route. He could have become minster of magic, and then slowly instigated the rebellion against muggles. But you know what he did…”

Blaise then added, “But he did control the ministry from shadows. My mother told me about it, during that time almost everyone in the top brass was serving him,”

He scoffed, “That was his foolishness. With his power, he could have charmed people into following his footsteps by becoming a minister. But he took a route in which people made him look like a murderer. People followed him because of his fear, and when he vanished, everyone that followed him also switched sides, in a snap of the finger. Voldemort's rule was nothing but a castle made of sand. Down one pillar, and the whole castle came tumbling down.”

He then further added, “It is really simple guys. Why use force and fear to do the work, when one could use manipulation?”

No one said anything, but then Blaise spoke, “You know mate… Sometimes talking to you scare the shit out of me,”

Ronan shrugged. No one else spoke for a few minutes, then Pancy spoke to cut the ice, “Anyway… The biggest news of the year is that Malfoy didnt invite you to his birthday party,”

He rolled his eyes, “Well I think his father was the one who didnt want me there. Still, like a good friend, I did send him a birthday card and a gift.”

“Considering how close you guys had gotten over the past year,” Daphne said, “It was very strange to see when you didnt show up for his birthday party,”

“I dont mind.” He simply said, “Also.. I have some news as well… I bought myself a Nimbus 2001”

Blaise’s eyes widened with surprise, “You did?” he nodded. And then told them about how he was planning to play as a chaser for Slytherin this year…

By the time the sun went down, it started pouring rather heavily. Undeterred by the rain and fog, the train moved at a fast pace. Ronan was reading a book, when he noticed that the train was slowing down. He closed his book and looked at his wristwatch, “Well.. Have we arrived early?”

And soon the train came to an abrupt stop. Blaise peeked outside, “We are not there. We have just stopped over a bridge,”

“Let me see what was happening,” Ronan said and then he got up and started walking towards the engine room in order to speak with the driver.

Students were peeking from their cabins, trying to understand what was happening. But he paid no attention to them, and then the lights of the train went out. He ignited his wand and then proceeded forward. While moving forward he came across Ginny seemingly walking into a cabin.

He peeked inside and saw Longbottom and his gang sitting there, with a wizard who looked like a hobo. “Hey guys,”

“Ronan!” Harry exclaimed, “Do you know what was happening?”

“Dont know,” he said, I was going to see the driver about it. And it was then he felt some movement, seeing a black-cloaked figure drifting its way towards him, Ronan understood what was happening. He quickly goes inside the cabin. With his light illuminated, everyone in the cabin saw the figure.

He could feel chills in his body, but just being near the creature. But he didnt fear it at all, after all, he knew that he would encounter it one day. And he had been prepared for it beforehand. “Move on then. No Sirius here,” he spoke.

The figure didnt move, instead fixed its head in the direction of Longbottom and Potter who were sitting side by side. It is then he felt it, it was like there was some weird sort of energy that that thing started sucking from both of the lads. He didnt like it. Instantly he swiped his wand, and with a chantless magic, a Bengal Tiger came out of his wand and pounced at the figure. Instantly the figure ran away.

Then he turned around and checked on the boys, both of them seemed to have fallen unconscious. “Well this is a mess,” he mumbled.

“You,” The hobo spoke, “You produced a corporal Patronus,”

“Yeah,” he said nonchalantly. He then looked at Granger, “The boys will be fine. Just give them some chocolate when they wake up.”

With that he left the cabin, leaving everyone bewildered about what just happened there.