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A painful defeat from 460 to 450 for Slytherin, Gryffindor seeks at least a draw with Slytherin when the result was 450-300, but in the last error of the 46 errors of the keeper Ronald Weasley during the match happened just before of Captain Harry Potter capturing the Snitch. With the song, Weasley is our King sung at the top of his lungs by the Slytherin crowd, the most varied curses by the Gryffindor crowd, the keeper came to the ground, putting an end to several weeks of problems with his confidence to act in the position, of the discussions constant with Hermione as well as the fight with Ginny and yet this horrible performance in the game hammered in his head without stopping.
But not even the constant anger that he felt during the game continued when he arrived at the castle, without entering the locker room to face his teammates, at that moment only what was going through his head was the conversation he had had with Harry during one of the last workouts, about to delivery the position of keeper,
Through the corridors of the castle, he tried to go as quickly as possible, looking at the floor, not to find, to face and to talk to anyone, all he wanted now was a time to organize his head and understand what he really wanted to do, since playing Quidditch, he would not go any further.
He thought of the best place to be alone inside the castle, as no one came to his mind, decided to go to some of the passages leading out of the castle, but to stay just outside the halls and halls of Hogwarts without actually going somewhere .
Of the seven passages they had on the marauder's map, he decided to go to the one Harry used in his third year and simply stand there in the corridor that would reach Hogsmeade without really going to the. Arriving in the passage going by her until finding any place and decided to sit there.
After half an hour of full silence just breathing in with his eyes closed, Ron rethought how his whole life has been. From childhood without a perspective of the future, with his brothers already reaching the expected accomplishments of the witches children, the inability to relate to his sister, the envy he felt for Harry, the problems and discussions he always has with Hermione and the will to be with her or not, Merlin ! He is not able to define how he feels about Hermione.
After much thought in that dark, dusty place, he finally came to the conclusion that he needed time for him, since he was always surrounded by family, or sucked by what had happened at Hogwarts in the previous years, he never seriously thought about it, pulling from memory the moments in which he most reflected was when playing chess, one of the few things, if not the only one in which he was good.
After much consideration, he came to a decision, for now he would forever leave the prefect post, as well as the Gryffindor keeper, he never had a real desire to be a prefect, and despite all the training done, Harry was right in saying that the problem was his mind, that he was very nervous when he played; continuing as keeper would be a problem for the team, they could not wait forever for him to solve his problem.
As for the people, after the departure of Fred and George, there are only three people with whom he interacts most in the whole school; he's not talking to Ginny and for her reactions it's best that she stay like that, Hermione too, only Harry despite everything that's happened to him in the last weeks tries to still help him even with his behavior lately, to think that he placed the lucky potion for him to take, that by the result of the game it was only a pretense for him to believe; after all, he'll just write to Harry and Professor McGonagall about his departure, and for Harry to explain that he will spend less time with him, but that if he needs help he will.
When he went to the dormitory, he realized that it was time for dinner, but still without speaking to anyone, he tried to take the first step of the decisions he made in his reflections. After bathing and taking off his Quidditch uniform, he put on his pajamas and decided to make the letters for the Teacher and for Harry taking the quill ink and two pieces of parchment, Ron began to elaborate the messages that had been thought. He explained briefly to both of them that he felt that he was no longer able to continue with these activities and that he would do better to concentrate on doing other things; finishing writing he stored everything and went to sleep.
The next morning, five o'clock in the morning, Ron got up after spending twenty minutes rolling around without being asleep, making as little noise as possible, he straightened up and went out to the owlery with both messages, not to mention the very few people he encountered that Sunday day, and gave Pig the letter to McGonagall and Harry to one of the school owls.
On returning, instead of heading to the main hall, Ron headed for the kitchen, at least that day, he thought it best to avoid having breakfast with other people, arriving at the portrait that gives access to the kitchen, he tickled the fruit and entered. Inside the kitchen he managed with the elves what was necessary for a decent meal, he ate there, when he finished he considered the options he had for the future.
After Hogwarts, the only professional career he thought was as a Quidditch player would now be practically useless; with the notes that had the other wizard careers were very difficult to achieve, opening up the business itself would be difficult with no money to start.
As well as the future did not seem very exciting, he thought of how he would do at the moment to improve his chances. The low grades were a result of the little effort he put into the studies which in turn were the result of habit of always copying of Hermione's, although he found Charm, Transfiguration, Defense against Dark Arts and Potions relevant subject, he did not like the tasks that were passed by the teachers, increasing their laziness.
Although realizing that he needs to improve his grades at Hogwarts mainly because he was not rich like Harry or clever like Hermione, Ron thought of changing something and if the best wizarding careers are hard to target now, he should at least try to get the OWLs into studies Muggles, seek muggle studies a possible alternative career to the wizarding world and also get rid of some family pressure,
Realizing how simple his future was, even though Ron did not see much of a problem in it, he found himself wondering how his perspective on the future was different from his two best friends. Harry was insane to have faced a dark wizard five times and to have a prophecy saying that he was the only one who could stop this wizard. Hermione with the intelligence she had and the will to do things within the rules would end up as Minister of Magic.
While he still ate breakfast and thought of these things, he could hear Weasley is our king, probably sung every time someone relatively close to the team arrived in the Great Hall. Trying not to pay attention to the music, he watched the work of the house elves until he realized what he knew best.
"Dobby!" She called.
"Harry Potter's friend!" Dobby exclaimed and walked over to him.
"Hello, you can call me Ron Weasley," Ron said, and tried to work something out to continue the conversation.
"I've been thinking here, and I've had academic curiosity about some things, I do not know if you elves can or will answer; but wanted to know if elves when young to learn the magic you know go to some school, or parents teach or is otherwise?
"Mr. Weasley, we are taught by our parents, but we serve our mothers' house," replied Dobby.
"Um, these wandless magic and those trappings inside the castle, too?"
"I do not know how to explain, Mr. Weasley, I know only the magic in my body when I need to do something, and that also happens if I need to disappear from here and show up elsewhere.
"Okay, Dobby, do not worry about it, go on with what you were doing, I'm going to enjoy the treats you make," Ron said.
The rest of the day, Ron basically passed that way, casually taking some food that the elves brought, and he was also able to get a little device with Dobby to tune the witch radio, and listened to the radio while practicing some spells for cooking , laundry, first aid that were in three small books, which Dobby also left with him.
Early in the evening Ron had his open palm resting on one of the students' tables as he prepared to make a small cut in his hand to train both the fine-cut spell for cooking and to train the healing spell for injuries. With the other hand holding the wand he completed the zigzag movement of the spell and chanted "Diffindo" the moment the door opened in surprise.
"RON!" shouted a voice next to the door, the scare made him lose his concentration and move his hand with his wand broadly, and this made the cut that should be small becomes a large cut.
"ARGHH BUT SHIT YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING", Ron shouted.
At the door of the room a Harry with a frightened and confused face turned toward Ron's scream.
"But what happened to Ron, what blood is this?" said the Gryffindor captain, walking quickly to his colleague.
"I was practicing spells until you showed up," said the other.
"In your own hand! Do not tell me that besides writing me a letter saying that you would leave the team, you decided to punish yourself to the point of wanting to cut your hand off!"
"List arghh Listen I was wanting to practice "Sana Vulnera" intoned the redheaded boy with his wand over the wound.
"Yeah, it's okay just checking, after yesterday we were all very dark about the mood "Tergeo" Harry said as he wiped Ron's blood. "Ron, you're serious about what you said in the letter? Professor McGonagall was talking to me this afternoon, and she asked me to tell you to come and talk to her before the first class after lunch.
"Yes, I am," said Ron, in a weary voice, "I am your friend, and I will continue to be your friend; but I think I need to do more for myself and so I will stay away from people especially after this secular failure I want to be forgotten by people; and well, you need to kill You-Know-Who then in addition to time with Dumbledore you should train that neither in the fourth year to the maze or in the DA of the fifth and not to walk around every corner with me, hearing my bullshit and complaints.
"Ron you were, are and will continue to be a good friend, your concern with me now is the proof of this, I wonder if what you are saying get away from all now is not something just because of a hot head because of the Quidditch".
"It may even be Harry, but Quidditch is what has been making my head spin and treating everyone badly around me these weeks.
"Okay, I'll get you out of the team, but I want at least you and I to train spells together once in a while.
"Okay, but nothing about Hermione, I think she'll be better off without me around.
"Can not you just apologize, Ron?"
"I can not apologize at that time, I thought yesterday and if I apologize to her and the others, I do not change, and then will happen the same things, the same fights, so it's better, I think giving that distance of all".
"I do not think Ron, but I will respect that. But why not me Ron?
"I do not know if I can express myself right, Harry, but I'll try, and let's say that in this aspect you end up being a specific case, because we agree with the problems you have that I think would make you worry about me, besides the problem to get a new keeper.
"Ron, thank you" and with a handshake the two colleagues went out to the Common Room, there they separate, Harry stopped to talk to some colleagues and Ron used the Invisibility Cloak that he borrowed a little earlier with Harry entered the dormitory, left Harry's cloak on his bed and went to sleep.
The next morning Ron, with his hand still sore from the cut it was harder to wake up at the same time yesterday, the whole afternoon practicing the little spells had left him tired and yesterday different from the day of match he just fell asleep a little of Harry's arrival. After getting ready Ron left the dormitory to face the first day of class after the disastrous match, and Ron made it a priority to learn the spell of disillusionment.
The classes of defense against the dark arts went through the usual problems, and Ron had to face Hermione as a double, for breakfast it was a silent experience they stayed between Harry without exchanging a word, but now during class, between the looks of debauchery of the Slytherin students and some of the other houses, and while Snape was taking points and giving Harry an detention for hitting Malfoy with the "Levicorpus", Snape had stated that it was not a non-verbal spell as he sought to get Malfoy and the others students laughed; Hermione thought it was time to take some approach to Ron.
"Ronald, where have you been for the rest of Saturday and Sunday?" asked the girl, getting to the point.
"We're in the middle of class, if you want to ask something beyond it, wait until class is over." - answered
This response seems to take her by surprise, Hermione returned to practice the spells, but Ron thought that because he could not do a spell Nonverbal Shield Charm, the girl began to hit him with greater brutality. Some bruises later and a lot of patience, Ron arranged to leave the room, Harry would still be there to talk about his detention, with a nod, the redheaded boy said goodbye to his colleague, in the hall was now stopped by a now more impatient Hermione .
"And now, Ronald, will you bother answering me?" asked the girl in a bossy way.
"No, I will not, it's none of your business. replied the boy, already aggressively.
"It's my business, from the moment you are a monitor and failing to do your responsibilities, makes me work harder", she returned the girl furiously.
"I've already written my resignation prefect to Professor McGonagall, I believe you will not have to worry about more work, because soon she must nominate a partner more suitable to you, now if you'll excuse me, I have to go to the hospital wing before going to see Prof. McGonagall again", he said calmly, and with that, Ron went to see Madam Pomfrey.
Ron was passing by the corridors of the castle and was faced by various expressions of his colleagues, the most frequent was debauchery, but there was also anger and in a few cases pity; and this was not helping his mood at all, in moments his explosive temper had almost gotten better on him in conversation with Hermione, but in his anger he felt from the conversation, he knew why he was angry at the conversation with the girl, she was right, even if his approach to it has irritated him.
With these thoughts, he arrived at the hospital wing and went to ask Madam Pomfrey to look at the bruises suffered in class and took the opportunity to see if he could get more information about the healing spells. In the room he found the nurse busy with two first-year students who were probably there because they had used some of the products of their siblings Fred and George.
"So boy, what brings you here?" asked the nurse.
"I wanted you to take a look at these wounds from defense against the dark arts," he said, pointing to some of the bruises, "and see if I've cured my hand right from a cut yesterday."
The nurse put to work looking carefully at the injuries resulting from the lesson and healing them, when she finished she asked him to show himself the hand:
"Um, was that your first attempt?" she asked. "Yes, I saw this spell in the book The Healer's Helpmate, and when the cut came I decided to test it," Ron said.
- It was not bad for an initial attempt, but I must say that you try to bring the wand closer, and if you do not know the cause of the cut I must tell you to take much more care, if the cause is a spell or a dark spell you you must first remove the residual magic from the place with some enchantment, otherwise you will bleed rather than heal, so "she gave him a stern look" come and look for me before I do any nonsense.
Thanking the nurse when she finished, and laughing silently because the nurse started quarreling with the first-year girls who still did not explain their problem, Ron left for lunch that he hoped would be potatoes with meat.
During lunch, Harry was complaining about what happened to Snape, apparently he was to dive into the lake under Hagrid's supervision to capture some creatures for Defense Against the Dark Arts and Care of Magical Creatures, Ron listened silently and occasionally made some comment, on the other side of Harry, Hermione was making annotations on a parchment and casting disguised looks at the two of them as Ron spoke, apparently she was waiting for Ron to enter the topic of his leaving the prefect.
At the end of her lunch, Hermione quickly said goodbye to Harry and said that she needed to go to class earlier, when she left Harry stopped immediately speaking ill of Snape and asked,
"What was the fight this time?"
"It was not a fight, she wanted to know where I was at the end of the week because she had all the prefect work by herself, after a not-so-delicate response from me, I completed and asked for my exit as a prefect," Ron said.
"Well, it must have been pretty rude of what you said, because she did not say anything to me before you came in, just sat eating and writing on the parchment, so you're still determined?"
"Yes, for you to see why it is better for me to move away, the way I am I am never better at my behavior with people, I am thinking of even asking to go to Muggle studies classes, just to listen; with my background and possible that I can not get a decent job in the wizarding world, and who knows if I do not find something better for me in the Muggle world".
Harry was silent for a moment, then continued to ask,
"But do you know if this happens often?"
"Not really, but just to get away from home, I can go try to work for my cousin accountant, well I'm going too, I have to have that conversation with Professor McGonagall", replied the redheaded boy.
Arriving near the room of the Transfiguration Teacher, he saw a Hermione leave with a face of sadness with a bit of annoyance, they did not speak but the girl decidedly avoided facing her, entering the room found the teacher looking at her and then said:
"Mr. Weasley, come in and you can sit down" said the Professor, indicating the place.
Ron sat in the teacher's room and waited for her to start saying,
"Mr. Weasley, I received your letter yesterday, and I've already spoken to Mr. Potter about Quidditch, because your leaving the team or not, if not for disciplinary matters does not involve me, I just asked him to make sure of it next to you for there to be no regrets. As for leaving the position of prefect, although I can not prevent the exit, I worried because well ... - the teacher hesitated - has no direct relationship with a game of Quidditch, and I as director of your house here , I would like to understand your decision better, because this has affected Miss Granger quite dramatically.
Ron took a deep breath before starting - Professor, I understood after the game, when I recalled my previous years at Hogwarts, I was never a person with the characteristics necessary to be a prefect, I think my behavior with Hermione Granger sums up this lack of well, let's say "vocation" for the function, and I might add that having two older siblings last year, and a sister just a year just below me also does not help to create some kind of authority image next to house mates and enforcing the regulations.
"Okay, but it would not be better to change not to change your behavior, as you put it.
"I think to some extent, yes, but I think I want to do other things, or give me more opportunities, or that I just really enjoy it," Ron said, in his head another idea formed.
The teacher looked at him thoughtfully before continuing, "Sir, Weasley, you seem to have thought of something different, would you like to tell me?"
- Yes, I would like to at least attend Muggle Studies, I ask this because I believe that it can help me to have more, professional opportunities in the future.
- Well, attending classes can be arranged with the teacher of the discipline, something else?
- Yes, one of the things I like and play wizard chess, and I would like to know, is it possible for me to start a club here, if I do not already have one?
- Wizard chess? - The teacher asked as if confirming, upon seeing the affirmative nod of Ron, she continued - There is no club at the moment, there is the club of Gobstones , but of wizard chess has been a long time that we do not have, if you are interested in this activity I can leave reserved one of the rooms next door, but you should put a notice of recruiting members and - Professor McGonagall raised his forefinger - you must accept students from every home without initial restraints, it is not as if there were times like in Quidditch, if there is any personal restraint you should tell me to decide, "she saw Ron's questioning expression - something that I will only initially agree with if it is a case of obvious enmity like Mr. Malfoy, other than that, I urge you not to restrict anyone. and if you allow me a suggestion do not impose a rigid frequency as it may alienate potential members and as president one of your main concerns will be to teach those who wish to learn about the game, in addition I will not test their skills, seen our game five years ago, look at the days you want for the meetings and let me know, I'll report my classes, "the teacher finished with one of the rare smiles.
Ron left that room with the sense of tranquility that he had not felt since the holidays, at least for now, the idea to form the chess club was also bringing him the realization of doing something for himself and not for anyone, not for the family , nor by his friends. With this, he left with a very different feeling, two days ago, he did not give a shit about the Slytherins in Potions class, nor for the irritated glances Hermione gave him when he missed something thing in the potion he had to prepare, his head was still making plans for the club.
The satisfied feeling continued as he headed for dinner and into the bedroom chatting quietly with Harry about what he might find in the lake besides the flu, and even went without realizing what he was doing, a pot of boiled potatoes to Hermione, a small kindness that sometimes even on the days that she normally talked to the girl he would do or only do after she asked, and also in the common room, Ginny and Dean were kissing, but Ron did not notice and so maybe he had not made any comments, the two girls noticed and were intrigued,
When Harry arrived at the dormitory, he turned to him and asked,
"So how was the conversation with Prof. McGonagall?"
"It was good, she accepted my request, just wanted to be sure of my decision, and she accepted my two requests.
"The one to accompany the Muggle Studies classes, and?
"To found the chess club," Ron replied.