A/N: A few reviewers have pointed out to me that in the canon, Crouch Sr was demoted to the Department for International Magical Co-Operation following the First Wizarding War, and that Fudge only became Minister in 1990. To them, I have this response: Please go back to the description for this fic, and re-read the part where it says that it gets AU pretty quickly. AU: Alternate Universe. Therefore, this fic will not follow the canon exactly. It will differ in places, and all such differences are completely intentional. To find out how these differences unfold, I suggest you keep reading.
Chapter 36: A New Term And A New Friend
When Harry got onto the Hogwarts Express after saying goodbye to Sirius, he found Ron and Neville in a compartment comparing their wands. Or rather, their new wands. "Hey Harry, how was your Christmas?" asked Ron. "Great," replied Harry, "but Sirius played a few pranks on me - some of my presents were for when I was a baby and growing up. How were your Christmases?" In answer, both Neville and Ron held up new, polished wands. "Gran got a letter from Ollivander," explained Neville. "He said that he'd heard from one of the teachers that I wasn't doing very well at spells because I was using my dad's wand, and he reminded her that the wand chooses the wizard. So she took me to Diagon Alley during the holidays and I got this - thirteen inches, cherry, with a unicorn hair core."
"Someone sent me the money for mine - fourteen inches, willow, unicorn hair core - as a present," said Ron. "It was a good thing they did, the unicorn hair was starting to poke out of Charlie's old one." "Do you know who it was?" asked Neville. "Nope, not a clue. They didn't sign the note that came with the money. They had really squiggly writing, though." "Must have been one of the teachers," Harry shrugged. "I mean, it wasn't me, I sent you a parcel of Muggle sweets, and a letter to your parents saying thanks for having me stay over the summer. No-one else in Gryffindor would have done it, except maybe Hermione, but she writes neatly." They sat there for a few minutes , pondering the mystery, until Harry had an idea. "Ron, do you still have the note that came with the money?" "Yeah, here it is," he replied, passing it over. "What do you want it for, though?" "To see if the handwriting's the same as my letter from Professor Strange. You know, the letter I got over the summer when I was staying at your house?" Comprehension spread across Ron's face. "Oh yeah! If they're the same, it means that he sent me the money!"
Harry swung his trunk down from the luggage rack, narrowly missing whacking Hermione in the head with it as she entered the compartment, and rummaged through it until he found the letter Professor Strange had sent him during the summer. Put side by side, it was clear to see that Professor Strange had sent Ron the nine Galleons for a wand of his own. "Blimey! Why would he do something like this?" "Maybe he just wants you to be the best you can, and knows you can't do it without a wand that chose you." Hermione said. "By the way, Harry, did you get a letter from Malfoy over Christmas?" Before Harry could reply, Ron and Neville both exclaimed "From Malfoy?!" "Yes, from Malfoy." Hermione coolly replied. "Yeah, Hermione, I did. So he wrote to you as well, then?"
Ron gaped like a fish for a minute before managing to say "Why is Malfoy writing to you? He hates you!" Harry and Hermione looked at each other worryingly. Someone watching them could have read the silent conversation as "Should we tell him?" "If Draco was OK with us telling people, he would have said so in the letter." "Well, what if we just tell him the very basics? He'll probably try and get it out of Draco otherwise tonight." "Alright then, tell him. But only what he needs to know."
Harry took a deep breath, then said "He doesn't hate us, Ron. He never did. But he had to act like he hated us last year. We can't tell you why, because it's private. When he decides he's ready for everyone to know, you'll know then." Ron's confusion didn't go away for the whole journey to Hogwarts, especially when Harry and Hermione left the compartment to go and find Malfoy. A few minutes later, Harry came back to get his luggage. "I'll explain when I can, Ron. Just trust me, OK?"
When they arrived at Hogwarts, Ron's confusion reached its peak when he saw Harry and Hermione forego sitting with him at the feast, and instead sat with Malfoy!