HOGWARTS, FORBIDDEN FOREST — YEAR 3

RON and HERMIONE are walking through the trees, padding their pockets with Hippogriff feathers. There is a series of small flashes and rumbles coming from the back of the auditorium. HARRY appears in the aisles. He walks up to the stage. As he passes, some black robes arise around people. Black robes that become black shapes. That become dementors. They hover and glide as a very deep and ominous aria is sung from a place unseen — sedately, stealthily.

RON: That statement is not entirely accurate. I was an excellent student.

HERMIONE: You were moderate to average.

RON (irritably): That's not fair, is it? I mean... Compared to you, everyone's moderate to average.

HERMIONE: You say that as if it's not a compliment.

HARRY joins them. The dementors continue to advance inconspicuously.

HARRY: All right then, Ron?

RON: Good. You're back.

HERMIONE looks HARRY up and down, uncertain of him and his motives.

HARRY: Yeah. Thanks for that.

RON: I was just thinking, we all should've gone. I missed out on the grand escape first time round, stuck up there in the hospital wing.

HERMIONE: It's after midnight. That took longer than I expected.

There is a moment of silence between the three of them. RON looks back and forth between HARRY and HERMIONE.

RON: Am I missing something?

HARRY: Anything you want to ask me, Hermione?

HERMIONE: Yes. One question.

She points to the auditorium.

Where...?

HERMIONE freezes. RON and HARRY follow her gaze. They stumble toward one another and reach for their wands.

RON: There are dementors everywhere. They've tracked you.

HERMIONE: We need to find shelter. We're horribly exposed.

RON: Let's get down to the water.

HARRY: Walk. Don't run.

They take only a few steps before coming to an abrupt stop. RON points to the auditorium.

RON: Too late.

HERMIONE: We need to use the Time-Turner again — get out of here —

HARRY reaches into his pocket and brings it out. The Time-Turner is acting up. More than before.

HARRY: Slight problem.

RON: Strange. It's like it's gotten —

HERMIONE: Worse.

She glares at HARRY.

Harry, did you use the Time-Turner without us?

He isn't responding.

Answer me.

RON: Forget it. There's no time.

HERMIONE can sense the deception. She looks utterly betrayed.

They're getting closer.

HERMIONE: They'll only attack with good reason. Right?

HARRY: They have good reason. They were denied an opportunity to extinguish a life. Twice in one night, in fact.

HERMIONE: So, we cast them out.

HERMIONE raises her wand.

The three of us can manage the job handily.

RON: We can't.

HERMIONE: And why not?

RON: It's dark. Cornelius Fudge is in the infirmary as we speak. If we conjure a Patronus Charm — they'll see.

HARRY: It's all but guaranteed to disrupt the future.

RON: And all is lost.

HERMIONE: Fine! Then we need to move. Now.

RON: There's nowhere we can hide. Not even the lake is far enough away.

HERMIONE: Harry, we need to do something.

HARRY: I know, but what? Let me think — let me think...

Dementors start to appear all around them. HARRY knows what this means. He locks eyes with RON, who seems to be strategizing.

HERMIONE (frantic): This is a disaster. We haven't really thought this one through, have we? What do we do now?

HARRY is still looking at RON, who is now smiling faintly. RON looks at HARRY, finally aware of what he has to do. He nods.

RON (calmly): You see it, don't you, Harry?

HARRY: Wait a minute...

RON (with a small laugh): I'm impulsive. That's why I was given the sack at work, if I recall.

HARRY (stricken): No... No...

RON: Do you want to save your family or not?

HERMIONE (confused): What?

RON (to HARRY): Once I make my move, then you're free to escape.

HARRY: No. Ron, NO!

HERMIONE: What is it?

HARRY takes a deep breath. He cannot believe this.

HARRY: He's going to sacrifice himself.

HERMIONE is instantly flushed with tears.

HERMIONE: No! No way —

RON: Hermione...

RON reaches for her and HERMIONE bats her fists against his chest.

HERMIONE: But they'll kiss you. They'll steal your soul.

RON: Don't be so grim.

HERMIONE: You're my husband! We have a family!

RON: And we still will. You won't have to mourn me for long.

HERMIONE: But what if we don't succeed?

RON: Well, now you have to.

HERMIONE (sobbing): No. I won't let you do this... There must be another way!

RON places his hands on HERMIONE's cheeks. He looks deeply into her eyes as the aria becomes more like a war cry.

RON: Hermione. You're the cleverest witch of your age. (beat) You know, it's the only way.

HERMIONE wants to speak, but it's too difficult through the tears. She just shakes her head vigorously back and forth.

From day one, when we met on the Hogwarts Express, this was never a fight to destroy Voldemort's soul. It was a fight to save Harry's.

RON faces HARRY and pulls HERMIONE into his arms.

Harry, it's you that has to go on. I've always known it. Not me — not Hermione. You.

HARRY (softly): Okay. Okay, Ron.

The dementors are getting closer. HARRY pulls HERMIONE free. She is a mess of tears. RON adjusts his jacket and looks out at the auditorium.

RON: You need to run. I will keep them at bay for as long as I can.

He starts to walk away.

HERMIONE: Think of something else. Occupy your thoughts. Think of Rose and Hugo.

RON (sweetly): Hermione, I'll think of you.

RON turns back. He kisses her firmly.

The two of you need to run. Go. Now.

RON turns decisively. He stares at the dementors. HARRY leads HERMIONE back into the forest. She is reaching out for her husband.

HERMIONE (impassioned): Ronald Weasley! (beat) I love you!

He looks back at his wife.

RON (smirking): What's not to love?

And with that, RON rushes the auditorium. The aria builds and builds to a fantastically tragic crescendo. HARRY is now holding HERMIONE back.

HARRY (croaking with sadness): Hermione! We've got to go!

RON (to the dementors): Oi!

The mob of dementors look like a spiral of black shapes that don't stop shifting. They move on him like a swarm.

HARRY: You don't have to watch.

She yanks herself free.

HERMIONE: I'm letting it happen... Ron is the father of my children.

HARRY: Then we'll both witness it.

HERMIONE: We'll both watch.

RON walks on, he turns, he looks at HERMIONE — every inch a hero. RON softly smiles. And then he is engulfed by them. And pinned to the ground. And we watch as a golden-whitish haze is pulled from his body. RON has his soul sucked from him. It is terrifying. HARRY and HERMIONE watch — helplessly.

And the music stops. The dementors disperse. RON is alone on the auditorium floor. He is dead. HERMIONE bursts out in tears. HARRY consoles her. And time seems to stop for all of us — until HARRY sees that the Time-Turner is done flashing.

HARRY: It's ready. We've got to go — now.

HERMIONE: But... he... We can't leave him like that. Won't it change the future?

A look of recollection comes over HARRY.

HARRY: Dumbledore will handle it. (beat) He knows we're here.

HERMIONE stops crying long enough to stare scornfully at HARRY. And then the Time-Turner ignites with cracks, explosions, and spits of light. And our heroes, what's left of the trio, are gone.