"Go ahead." Ron nudged his best friend jokingly. "I dare you." Harry darted his eyes to the empty hall, peering at the newly put up decorations and the colourful banner sporting "Goodbye Seventh Years." Obviously unsure, Harry gave his friend an uneasy stare.
"You know what Hermione would say to this," Harry murmured warningly. He raised his voice to a girlish tone and waved his finger in the air mockingly. "'You'll get expelled.'" He brought his voice back down to a low whisper. "And, y'know, she's right. We'd get in huge trouble if McGonagall caught us jinxing the Slytherin's chairs. And at the feast...you know Malfoy'll do something dreadful to us if he knew I'd done it."
"We can't GET expelled," Ron reasoned, pushing him forward once more. "We've already GRADUATED. And anyway, you're a better wizard than Malfoy is, a hundred times so. You could give him jelly legs before the fool whipped out his wand. And if you'd just move it and get out there already, no one will be anywhere near the hall. Everyone's out in Hogsmeade for an hour yet."
Harry let out a deep breath. "OK, Weasley, I'll do it." He seized his wand, pulse quickening slightly, and stepped into the hall. Nearing the Slytherin table, Harry tapped his wand on every chair, adjusting each in a low whisper to kick off anyone who dared to sit. It was a dumb prank, and he knew it, but he'd do anything to humour Ron at the end of this year. It'd been really hard for him since what had happened to Ginny...
"What a pleasant surprise," a low voice growled behind him. Harry froze in place, then slowly turned to face what had addressed him. A tall, slouching man dressed in a long black cloak stood, a firm grasp on his wand a smirk on the shadowed face. "Of course," he murmured, twirling his wand and chuckling. "I'm no stranger to surprises. I would have never thought that Muggle-lover of a headmaster would put up a fair fight. A vain one, however..."
"Voldemort," the young boy's voice trembled with hate and his wand was poised at his side readily. "You - at Hogwarts..." The last words barely squeezed through when Harry's mind began to process all the terrible ways he could have gotten into the school and then to the even more terrible things he could do now that he was there.
Harry heard a rush of footsteps behind him as well as an angry burst of breaths and curses. Ron, his hair tousled and his eyes wild, had his wand thrusted out, his face red. "You will not have any more destruction. None." Ron's words burst with fiery hate and he hissed them between clenched teeth. "I will not give you the privelige to breathe my air for another moment. Ava-"
"-da Kadavara!" Voldemort finished, a split second before his opponent. Harry saw the flash of light go by in an almost slow motion movement. Just as the curse was about to meet his friend's forehead, Harry dove in front of Ron and took the blow. Instantly, he hit the ground, drained of life, as the last traces of the curse hit Ron painlessly. Ron's curse, however, had effectively made its target, and the Dark Lord was wilted upon the floor. Ron let out a few scared gasps, and put his hand to his forehead fearfully. There, burning with red hot fury, was a lightning-shaped scar.
"You know what Hermione would say to this," Harry murmured warningly. He raised his voice to a girlish tone and waved his finger in the air mockingly. "'You'll get expelled.'" He brought his voice back down to a low whisper. "And, y'know, she's right. We'd get in huge trouble if McGonagall caught us jinxing the Slytherin's chairs. And at the feast...you know Malfoy'll do something dreadful to us if he knew I'd done it."
"We can't GET expelled," Ron reasoned, pushing him forward once more. "We've already GRADUATED. And anyway, you're a better wizard than Malfoy is, a hundred times so. You could give him jelly legs before the fool whipped out his wand. And if you'd just move it and get out there already, no one will be anywhere near the hall. Everyone's out in Hogsmeade for an hour yet."
Harry let out a deep breath. "OK, Weasley, I'll do it." He seized his wand, pulse quickening slightly, and stepped into the hall. Nearing the Slytherin table, Harry tapped his wand on every chair, adjusting each in a low whisper to kick off anyone who dared to sit. It was a dumb prank, and he knew it, but he'd do anything to humour Ron at the end of this year. It'd been really hard for him since what had happened to Ginny...
"What a pleasant surprise," a low voice growled behind him. Harry froze in place, then slowly turned to face what had addressed him. A tall, slouching man dressed in a long black cloak stood, a firm grasp on his wand a smirk on the shadowed face. "Of course," he murmured, twirling his wand and chuckling. "I'm no stranger to surprises. I would have never thought that Muggle-lover of a headmaster would put up a fair fight. A vain one, however..."
"Voldemort," the young boy's voice trembled with hate and his wand was poised at his side readily. "You - at Hogwarts..." The last words barely squeezed through when Harry's mind began to process all the terrible ways he could have gotten into the school and then to the even more terrible things he could do now that he was there.
Harry heard a rush of footsteps behind him as well as an angry burst of breaths and curses. Ron, his hair tousled and his eyes wild, had his wand thrusted out, his face red. "You will not have any more destruction. None." Ron's words burst with fiery hate and he hissed them between clenched teeth. "I will not give you the privelige to breathe my air for another moment. Ava-"
"-da Kadavara!" Voldemort finished, a split second before his opponent. Harry saw the flash of light go by in an almost slow motion movement. Just as the curse was about to meet his friend's forehead, Harry dove in front of Ron and took the blow. Instantly, he hit the ground, drained of life, as the last traces of the curse hit Ron painlessly. Ron's curse, however, had effectively made its target, and the Dark Lord was wilted upon the floor. Ron let out a few scared gasps, and put his hand to his forehead fearfully. There, burning with red hot fury, was a lightning-shaped scar.
