The Boy Who.


"Why do you do it?" Draco asked one day, out of the blue. "You could have been the star of your own show. Why take the sidekick part on his?"

And Ron had just turned away from the homework he was doing, and looked at Draco with a serious expression. They were the only ones in that section of the library, so there was no one to hear Draco's question but the person who had the answer.

"I used to wonder that myself, sometimes," Ron said slowly. "I used to be so jealous of Harry, because he always got all the attention. Sometimes I could barely stand it."

"So what changed?" Draco asked.

"I realized that he didn't want the attention," Ron said. "But more importantly, he deserves it anyway. He's the hero, and I'm meant to be the sidekick. It's what I'm good at."

"But you could have been more," Draco argued. "You could have had the spotlight."

"I know better than to want the spotlight, now," Ron said. "And there is nothing in this world more important than Harry Potter. I could have done no better in this life or any other than to be his friend."

Draco was quiet, until Ron turned to him with a knowing smile and asked, "The real question is why did you do it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Draco said, but Ron wouldn't be sidetracked.

"You could have been at the top. You could have taken your father's place by the Dark Lord's side. You were certainly stronger, magically, and yet you turned away. Refused the Dark Mark. Why?"

"You know why," Draco said, almost angrily. "Because of him."

"Because of Harry," Ron agreed. "That's his real power, you know. Not his magic, not his scar, not his destiny."

"What is?" Draco said, when Ron didn't finish.

"The power to draw people in," Ron said. "To make them believe in him. To follow him to the ends of the earth, just because of his smile."

Draco said nothing, his silence eloquent in its agreement.

"It's because he loves us," Ron finished. "Because he cares so much about everyone and it binds us to him. Because he's not just the Boy Who Lived- he's the Boy Who Loves."

Draco looked up, and met Ron's steady, expectant gaze. "He's the Boy Who Is Loved," Draco whispered.

Ron nodded in solemn agreement.