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"Professor?"
"Yes?"
"Professor McGonagall told me you wanted to talk to me?"
"Yes yes, do come in Mr. Weasley."
Dumbledore watched a visibly shaken Ron take a seat across from him as he pushed aside a few OWLs he had just received.
"Would you like a lemondrop?" Dumbledore asked, grabbing the small golden container that was filled to the brim with the deliciously tart candies.
"No thank you sir."
"You sure? They are quite delightful."
"No sir, I actually just came from breakfast."
Dumbledore gave him a comforting smile while placing the container back on his desk.
There were a few minutes of silence as Dumbledore begin shuffling through more papers, muttering every so often. Ron shifted in his seat, the weight of the silence suffocating him. Another shift in his seat caused his chair to make an unpleasant squeak which seemed to catch the Headmaster's attention. He popped another lemondrop in his mouth and then abruptly stood up from his chair. Ron flinched as the chair made an ear splinting screech as it scraped across the marble floor. A thin film of sweat coated the ginger haired boy's face as he impatiently waited to discover the meaning of his summons.
"Mr Weasley," Dumbledore begin as he paced back and forth behind him, " Can you recall the events that took place just a few days ago?"
"Y…yes sir I can."
"Do you mind recalling them now? I need to know every detail, regardless of how trivial you make think it be."
Ron straightened up in his chair and cleared his throat.
"Well sir.."
(A Few Days Prior)
"Ron, are you alright? Hello…Ron?"
"Mate, are you okay?"
The ginger head teen slowly looked up at two worrisome pairs of eyes.
" I'm fine."
"You hardly ate anything at breakfast," Hermoine pressed, "and you've barely touched your dinner. Harry, I think we should take him down to Madame Pomfrey's have hi…"
"I said I'm fine 'moine."
"If this is about earlier when I wouldn't let you copy my Potions homework…"
"That's not it all. I'm 'aving a bit of an off day."
Harry and Hermoine shared another concerned look. This was unlike Ron, to be moping about. He was usually ten thousand times more upbeat with a twinkle in his eye and a hop in his step. He could make anyone having a bad day double over in laughing pains just by tell a simple, albeit cheesy, joke. Now here he was, pushing his food around with his fork and looking simply miserable.
"If you to don't mind, I think I'll head back to the Common Room. I just want to turn in early."
Harry and Hermoine watched their friend leave the Great Hall without protest.
"Maybe you should go talk to him Harry," Hermoine whispered, "It could be about the Quidditch try outs coming up. He could be nervous or something…"
"I'll see what I can get out of him."
Harry quickly downed his pumpkin juice and grabbed a lone buttered roll before dashing off to catch up with the sulking Weasley.
He begin walking in the direction of the Gryffindor common room when he spotted Ron sitting on an open window sill, overlooking the enclosed lawn where they often hung out on breaks. He approached Ron cautiously even though he was sure Ron hadn't noticed him.
"Hey mate…"
Ron continued to space out and Harry begin to wonder if Ron had even heard him.
"Would you like a roll? I know these are your favorites, you know the one with the brown sugar…"
"Harry…"
"…and cinnamon"
"Harry."
"and with the orange peel shavings on them. I don't really know what they are used for…maybe zest…"
"HARRY!"
A bewildered Potter looked up stunned at Ron, who resumed staring absentmindley.
"What is with you today Ron? You…you mope around all day, barely spoke a word to either me or Hermoine and…and then I try and talk to you…and you just treat me like any old wanker!"
Ron sighed and turned so now he was facing Harry.
"I'm sorry mate…it's just that I've been having reservations about this school year."
"Is it about Quidditch tryouts coming up?"
They begin strolling around the halls of Hogwarts as Ron begin to open up to the Boy Who Lived.
"It's not only that but…I just feel like I'm hiding in your shadow."
Harry stopped dead inn his tracks, caught off guard.
"Ron! You are my best mate! We have done everything together. How can you say that?"
Ron just stayed silent, brushing past Harry to continue down the hall.
"Ron! Don't walk away from me! Where is all this coming from?"
Ron stopped and turned around to face a still stunned Harry Potter.
"We only have one more school year left…it all sort of just hit me today. I look back and there is nothing I've really done to be remembered here besides being "Harry Potter's best friend aka The Forgettable Git"."
"Ron, listen to me. You are probably one of the best mate's anyone could ever ask for…." Ron scoffed and tried to turn away but Harry stepped in his way.
"I'm being serious! You have been there for me through everything, you've helped me through the worst of times. The only thing you should be concerned with is being the best person you can be, not any other rubbish."
It took a moment for Ron to mull over Harry's words. Was he being sincere? Or was he just spewing out whatever Ron wanted to hear? It was all too much to think about and eventually it occurred to Ron that that was his problem. He thinks too much, something he thought he would never tell himself.
"Fuck, you're right Harry. I'm being a bit of a silly git aren't I?"
"Damn right you are. Now, whatdya say we go to Hagrid's for a bit? Maybe he can brew us up some butterbeers and we can forget all this for now?"
Ron nodded his agreement and the two friends headed towards the entrance of the castle.
The moon was already peaking out from behind a few evening clouds, casting a silvery glow over everything before them. They walked in silence a few feet, carefree smiles plastered on their faces. Yet, those boyish smirks would soon be wiped from their faces.
"Harry? What is that…over there?"
Ron stopped dead in his tracks as he glanced over to the wooded area that was nested a few yards from Hagrid's hut.
"What are you talking about Ron?" Harry asked, as he back tracked to where Ron stood stone still.
"That!"
Ron pointed to what seemed to be a pair of legs sticking out near the forest edge.
"It looks to be a person."
Harry begin to walk toward the mysterious figure already out of arm's length of Ron who was about to stop him. Mischief always seemed to find these two at any time. Of course, a normal night of harmless drinking turned into a cold, sobering reminder that at any time, life could throw a huge hurdle into your plans.
Harry pulled out his wand and, after whispering a small incantation, lit the tip to peer down at the body.
"Ron! It's a girl!"
How was this possible? No one could apparate onto school grounds without permission from the Headmaster. So, how was she able to appear here on her own? If she had help…who could have assisted her?
A deep gash was forming from her hairline and stopping just at the corner of her right eye. There were flakes of mulch and dirt that inhabited her hair and coated her clothes, which were tattered and looked to be almost burnt off. There were random blood spots on her clothing which made Ron and Harry wonder, was it her own or someone else's?
"I'll go get Hagrid."
Harry raced off to the dimly lit home before Ron could protest. He was about to start chasing after Harry before he felt a tug on his pants. Somehow, this beautiful stranger had found enough energy to reach out and grab ahold of him. Ron knelt down cautiously and watched her, in great pain, turn her head in his direction.
She gave a small, weak smile and choked out these words:
"My hero."
****
Dumbledore took a moment to mull over the details as Ron slumped back into his chair. That was the first time he verbally recalled the events of that night and it took an emotional toll on him. Ever since then, he had been plagued by dreams, all the same, all with her. He didn't even know her name, just that she looked awfully familiar to someone he knows…but he just couldn't pinpoint who.
His thoughts were interrupted at the sound of Dumbledore clearing his throat.
"Well my boy, that is all for now. You do not know how helpful you have been. You may return to class."
Ron nodded weakly and got up to leave but was overcome with curiosity.
"Has she a name Professor?"
Dumbledore felt a smile creep onto his face as he resumed his position behind his desk.
"She hasn't regained consciousness yet. We have healed her of her minor cuts and bruises. However, an infection could be forming in the wound on her face. We are doing all that we can to try and stop it."
Ron felt his heart sink a little at the news.
"You know, Mr. Weasley, talking can sometimes help in the healing process."
"I'm not sure what you mean Headmaster."
"A visit to the Hospital Ward maybe in order. I'm sure our guest would enjoy some company."