Chapter 4: Auror Talk

"I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!"

Ron woke up groggily and moved towards Harry's room where the shouts were coming from. It was not the first time that Harry's nightmares had woken Ron. It wasn't the first time either that he had to dispel silencing charms from Harry's room the previous night before going to bed.

Ron knelt next to his distraught best mate. "Wake up, Harry, it is just a nightmare," Ron said as soothingly as possible. It took Ron at least ten minutes to wake Harry up.

When Harry woke up, he looked desolately about him. His green eyes were looking dull. It didn't seem he noticed Ron was there at all.

Ron sighed and proceeded to put Harry under the shower, asking Kreacher to keep an eye out so that Harry wouldn't try to drown himself in it, as he had tried to do before. Meanwhile Ron went for a shower in the bathroom a few floors below.

When Ron went downstairs to the kitchen, he was not surprised to see that Kreacher had already made breakfast, and that Harry was already sitting at the table, looking forlornly at his food. Ron served his own breakfast and encouraged Harry to eat something.

This is how it had gone every single day since Ron had moved into 12 Grimmauld Place. Ron had moved in after seeing Hermione and Ginny off at Platform Nine and Three Quarters so they could finish their seventh year at Hogwarts. Ginny had given Ron the cold shoulder. She had given him this treatment since Ron had tried to lock Ginny and Harry in a room together in the Leaky Cauldron. Hannah Abbott, who was working there now, was not very happy that one of her best rooms lay in ruins. Ron promised to pay her back for the damage from the money he had made working with George for the past months.

Ron had given Hermione one of a pair of two-way mirrors. He kept the other mirror, so they could keep in contact, which was the only thing that kept Ron sane through September and the beginning of October.

Harry was nearly - as Hermione called it - 'catatonic', whatever that meant. Harry wouldn't sleep, eat or shower unless Ron encouraged him to do so. Ron with difficulty managed to encourage Harry to go to Auror training with him, but it was a wasted effort, since Harry was not applying himself at all. He was bottom of all the classes. Ron had overheard the trainers discussing expelling Harry from training altogether.

Harry didn't talk, unless it was in the little sleep he did get, or if someone happened to insult Ginny in his presence. Then he would become suddenly aggressive and utter threats while keeping the offender in a deadly grip, or pounding him on the nose. Ron had found this out himself the hard way, when he had called Ginny some choice words after the Leaky Cauldron fiasco.

"Come on, Harry, it is time to go to Auror training," Ron said when it looked like Harry wouldn't eat any more. Harry nodded non-committally. Ron sighed, and asked Kreacher to have diner ready when they returned.

~O~

"We have to do something," Neville said.

"And what? Blow up another room in the Leaky Cauldron?" Ron asked sarcastically.

Ron and Neville were sitting in the Ministry cafeteria, eating lunch later that day. Harry was sitting a few tables away, his dull eyes just staring forward at nothing.

"Tomorrow is a Hogsmeade weekend..." Neville began.

"Right, let's blow up The Three Broomsticks, or The Hog's Head," Ron said shaking his head.

"Not what I had in mind, Ron," Neville said exasperated.

"I don't know if anything will help at this point," Ron said dejectedly.

Neville and Ron had tried everything to get Harry close to Hogwarts, but Harry was very not interested in going even near Ginny after what happened in the Leaky Cauldron.

Both Ron and Neville had tried to get Harry interested in other girls and set up a couple of blind dates for him. Harry never went, and the two Aurors in training had to take the fire for 'standing up their dates'.

"There is one thing we haven't tried yet," Neville said nervously.

"What is that?" Ron asked interested.

"Here, see this note," Neville said, sliding a note towards Ron.

Ron glanced at the note and looked at Neville incredulously.

"There is no way in Hell we are going to do this!" Ron whispered heatedly.

"It might be the only way, Ron. We have tried everything else," Neville whispered seriously.

"No, I'm not putting Ginny in such danger, nor Harry in his current state!" Ron whispered angrily.

"I'm open for other suggestions," Neville whispered shrugging. Now that Ron thought about it, he realised that Neville was right, there were no other options anymore. Getting Harry and Ginny to talk on their own proved useless, tricking them to talk to each other ended in disaster, and locking them in the same room proved explosive.

"I don't like it. Harry and Ginny will never forgive us," Ron whispered fiercely.

"I know, but I don't think we have any other choice now..." Neville whispered, shaking his head.

"I'll help, but I still don't like it," Ron whispered, shaking his head.

"Just get Harry in Hogsmeade. Robards wanted extra protection there anyway. Get Harry to sign up for that," Neville whispered to Ron. Ron nodded and looked towards Harry, who was still staring straight ahead, completely oblivious that his two friends were about to betray all the beliefs Harry had ever had.

~O~

"Harry?" Ron asked tentatively.

Harry and Ron where resting in the cubicle they shared after the intense training their instructors had put them trough that afternoon. They had to fight off the Imperius Curse. Ron was happy that he had succeeded the last time. Harry, despite his state of mind was also successful. Neville however couldn't fight it off and was recuperating in the medical ward.

Harry looked up from his desk, looking at Ron with dull eyes.

"Tomorrow is a Hogsmeade weekend, Robards wants some trainees for patrol there," Ron said seriously. Harry shrugged his shoulders and went back to whatever it was what he was doing.

"Ginny is going to be there," Ron continued. All he received was another shrug, but he could see that Harry's shoulders had tensed.

"Robards reckons that tomorrow's visit might be a target for Death Eaters," Ron continued. This finally got a reaction from Harry. He jumped up and went straight for the sign up form for Hogsmeade patrol and signed his name on it.

Great, now only to contact Hermione to get Ginny in Hogsmeade. I'm going to Hell for this. Ron thought miserably.