[a/n0]magitech's question in review Granger's comment on having months and months of practice is very suspicious. WHY and HOW? My theory...without any canon support...is kids get their letter just before their birthday[whenever that is]
[a/n]Magitech pm got buried, just rediscovered it. Jun 19, 2018 at 12:38 AM Ron gets major abuse for yelling at Granger after that charms class, yet book and movie show he didn't. - This was part of that same pm as #155 Needn't be considered a sequel though. So you CAN be on her side.
Harry Does Different CCCLVI
She's a Nightmare
"It's lev-ee-oh-sah not lev-ii-oosaa!" said Ron, mocking the bushy-haired girl's tones. Then turned angry "She's a nightmare! Honestly! No wonder she hasn't got any friends."
Some of the students crossing the courtyard laughed, many of them Gryffindors. And, unfortunately, Hermione Granger was at the back of the pack. The girl heard every cruel word. **SOB** She pushed through her housemates running no one knew where, incidentally almost knocking both Harry and Ron over.
"I think she heard you." Observed Harry rather unnecessarily.
Neville Longbottom had hardly spoke a word since start of term, but this angered the timid boy. Tone caustic, he snapped "Oh? Ya think?"
"You know what, Ron, he's right." Harry glared at his friend "McGonagall said…remember first night…your House is like your family. That a way a brother treats a sister?"
Dean Thomas added ashamedly "If my parents saw ME do that to my brother, they'd BOTH slap me upside the head."
"She was only helping you out." Parvati Patil pointed out "And my sister's in Ravenclaw, I'd NEVER do that to her."
Harry caught Draco listening keenly "Bugger off Malfoy, this is Gryffindor business. What about it Ron? I think you owe Granger an apology."
"Here now!" an authoritative voice interrupted "I happen to be a school prefect. What is going on here?"
Ron was relieved, almost happy, to see his older brother "Perce! Help me! They're all ganging up on me."
"Enough of this or I'll dock points!" the older redhead warned.
Harry stomped his foot angrily "If you're docking points, do it for the right reasons. Dock from Ron! He insulted a girl just because she did a spell in Charms before him."
"Shut up Potter!" growled Ron, then turned to his brother "Come on Perce! Who ya gonna believe? Me or- - -"
His fellow Gryffindors betrayed him. Parvati first "We should never have let a sister be picked on like that."
"Me?" Seamus asked rhetorically, almost instantly followed by Dean and Lavender Brown.
Percy could tell just by looking at the faces of the younger kids. He looked at his younger brother with a disappointed expression "I don't wish to punish our House too much, so I'll only deduct two points from Gryffindor for this. For now. But, Ronald, I'll be expecting to hear from this girl that you have apologized….sincerely…before tomorrow. Otherwise I will double the deduction AND report the incident to Professor McGonagall."
"Can't take points from our own House like that." Grumbled the younger redhead.
The Prefect didn't touch his brother, but his tone commanded attention "Did you not understand what I said? Then get about it." And as Ron shuffled off, he acknowledged the others "As for you lot, a point each TO Gryffindor for your honesty and defense of a Housemate."
Abcij
"Hiya Ron." A bubbly Third Year bounded up to the younger boy. She had a library book in her arms. "What's up? You look like you lost your best friend."
He snorted, but decided she was being friendly "Hi…Rose, right… More like someone I THOUGHT was a friend proved me wrong. Harry Bloody Potter, stabbed me in the back he did. Turned practically my whole year against me."
"Sorry to hear that, kiddo." She pulled him into a chair next to her, gave his knee a kindly smack "I sort of know the feeling, had my best friend…next door neighbor…she got sorted into Slytherin and took her about a day to dump me like month-old milk."
The boy's face twisted in disgust "Not sure which is worse, old milk or Slytherins. You're lucky, well…at least a bit… I'm gonna have to put up with my mistake in the same dorm for the next seven years."
"See? Not such a gloomy situation." Rose cheered "Already looking at the positives."
Ron rolled his eyes "Thanks a bunch."
"Always there for a Weasley. Love them twins of yours, never a dull moment. If you're like them you'll appreciate tossing around a quaffle. What say?" she got up and offered a hand, tossed her library book aside "Come onnnnn. I know I'm not an actual player, just go easy on me."
Abcij
Ron Weasley and Rose Wax returned to the Gryffindor Common Room about an hour later, she sporting a bruise on her nose, he with pants torn up to one knee. Both were laughing happily. The laughter stopped as they looked around at angry faces.
"Well I hope you are proud of yourself, Mr. Weasley." Professor McGonagall's voice dripped vitriol. Even her lions toward whom the anger was NOT directed to cringed. "Are you possibly unaware of the danger your unwarranted abuse placed Miss Granger?"
He sought support, but found none. Even his brothers were displaying at least disappointment. All three of them. His voice shot up an octave "I didn't do nuthin! And besides! They laughed too!"
"A thing you would have learned early, Mr. Weasley" her tone was icy "had you been Sorted to Slytherin OR listened to your brothers is NEVER give an interrogator more information than asked. I am- -"
Ron looked offended, enough so to forget even common sense "I ain't no stinkin' snake!"
"Silence!" the word could have drawn blood, her tone shifted to her instructional voice "Every one of you, on your first day here, heard me say two things I will repeat now. First, your House is like your family. Second, that all Houses have produced witches and wizards, both great and mediocre, as well as good and evil. Albus Dumbledore sat in those chairs you are right now. But then so did Sirius Black. Slytherin may have produced the likes of Who-Know-Who, but Dorea… our own Mr. Potter's grandmother, was also a Slytherin."
Like an accused facing a hostile jury, Ron pointed at Harry and shouted "SEE! EVIL!"
"I should not be so sure, Mr. Weasley." Professor McGonagall briefly gave an apologetic look to the older boys "Your family has a Slytherin past as well. Both sides. But enough, lesson over! Only the good offices of Misses Brown, Patil and Hopkins prevented a disaster when Miss Granger was pulled from the girls' loo minutes before a mountain troll penetrated the wards."
Now Ron looked guilty. Truthfully, even the understanding look of Rose Wax did little to help. Ears red, he spotted the near-victim and muttered "Sorry Hermione."
"I did not give you leave to use my Christian name, Weasley." She responded disdainfully "However your apology is noted."
The professor reasserted herself "That part is between you two. A proper punishment for this level of transgression would see the House in a points hole deep enough to assure loss of The Cup. But I cannot justify that in light of your classmates' actions. Percival, I endorse your awards and deductions as they are. Ronald, you will serve detention with me or Mr. Filch as schedules allow."
"How long?" Ron's tone was the wrong side of demanding.
She didn't answer, at least not what the pupil asked "Your first will be tomorrow. As it is Saturday, report to my office after breakfast and expect to remain until lunch. You have that long to consider what you might write your parents about this affair. That is all." And she left without another word.
Abcij
"Come on Harry, when are you gonna lighten up?" complained Ron as they passed through the Great Hall doors for lunch that next Tuesday.
The raven-haired wizard spun back "Not sure, try again in maybe a month. Go sit with Rose, she still likes you, God knows why." He wasn't exactly friends with Granger but he sat among the Quidditch team, of whose girls had adopted the young witch. Dean Thomas quickly enough dropped the issue and had no problem sitting with Ron and his new friend.
Seamus had been deeply offended by the whole affair and refused, just not to talk with Ron, but not sit within 20 feet of his dormmate outside of class assigned seats. When a rather sloppily-flying brown owl interrupted the meal with a crash landing, Seamus was the first to notice the red envelope. He gleefully, and loudly, announced "Weasley's got himself a Howler!"
"Better open it Ron." Advised the fairly neutral Neville Longbottom "I ignored one from my gran once. It was awful." Harry had never seen whatever this was. He barely paid it half-an-ear's attention while adding milk and sugar to his Corn Flakes. A scream caused him to drop his spoon in surprise, as the redhead opened the ominously colored envelop.
RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY!
HOW DARE YOU BULLY THAT LITTLE GIRL! SHAME ON YOU! WE RAISED YOU BETTER THAN THAT! YOUR FATHER AND I ARE DEEPLY ASHAMED! YOU WILL APOLOGIZE TO THAT CHILD OR WE WILL BRING YOU STRAIGHT HOME!
**The red letter turned** Hermione dear, please be understanding. Our Ronnie is basically a good boy.
**Back to Ron** It twisted in imitation of a human face and loudly went -ZZZZZbbbbbbrrrrrrrttt- And as a grand finale shredded itself all over the food everyone had forgot about.
The redhaired boy's face was a perfect study in utter horror as his eyes fixed on the pieces of paper. There was a long moment of silence where everyone, student and professor, stared at everyone else. A guffaw broke the shock, giggles turned into laughs, escalated into chortles and exploded into belly laughs. Ron looked around not finding anywhere someone who was NOT, it was so deeply embarrassing he could do nothing but flee.
