I still can't believe I did the Neville and Seamus thing. Oh well. So huggable though. I got a review (I think from teethshaver) saying something about Dean being in the girls dorm. Yeah, I guess that's where he is. He's there with Ginny. I've almost completely forgotten about them both. I like Ginny, she is a good character. Dean on the other hand I don't much care for. He just seems flat and boring. It probably doesn't help matters that I hate him for doing Seamus wrong in quite a few fics on FFN. One of my reviews for a story was me threatening to climb into Gryffindor and shoot Dean in the face after he banged one of the Quiddich girls in front of Seamus. With a bazooka, I think. If anyone knows that story, let me know. It is good, except for dean (who will sleep with Seamus but *isn't* gay.) well on with the show.

Ron was readying himself to take the last step of his life. His mind was quiet, all of the pain had gone in the last few moments. He pin wheeled his arms back to get more momentum and bent his knees.

"Ronald Weasley," a voice called in his head from seemingly nowhere. Ron nearly fell off the roof in fright. He looked around and saw no one. "It isn't your time to die."

"Huh? Who said that?" Ron was looking around and still saw no one in the sheets of rain. "Show yourself," he challenged.

"I cannot, and for that I apologize. Please come down," the voice in his head again said.

"No! I'm going to end everything right now," he called into the howling wind.

"I implore you, Ronald Weasley, step down please."

"It hurts too much. I can't take it anymore," Ron cried, turning back to the edge.

"I understand your pain, Ronald Weasley. Perhaps I can aid you."

"How? How can you possibly understand what I'm feeling?"

"Because I have been where you are now and have already taken the final step that you are now considering. I know, Ronald. I *know*"

"You- you mean you--"

"Yes Ronald. I did. Millennia ago. In a dark depression I took my own life when my love betrayed me. Please listen to me."

Ron shivered, some from the cold and some from fear. "Come inside. You will soon catch ill out here," the voice called to him. The door to the astronomy tower swung open slowly, as if it was pulled open with great effort.

Ron shook and shuddered his way back inside. He tossed his wet robes to a corner and tried to shake some of the water from his body.

"You might want to create a fire in the fireplace, Ronald."

"Yu-yeah, you're probably right." Ron took his wand and flames shot out and lit the fireplace. Ron sat down in front of it. "Who are you?" Ron asked the voice.

"I'm a spirit of the moon."

Ron screwed up his face in thought for a moment. Suddenly, he was almost positive that someone was trying to put one over on him. "Seriously. Who are you?"

"I've told you. I'm a spirit of the moon."

"Okay, that's enough. Fred! George! Come on out! Game's over." Ron sprung up from the hearth and began looking all around the room for his twin brothers.

"Your brothers have nothing to do with me, Ronald Weasley. I predate them by over two millennia."

"Oh, sure. A spirit just happens to call to me when I'm about to jump off the building. That's a mite convenient, eh?" Ron starts tossing chairs around and looking in all the closets.

"I couldn't let you make the same error I made, Ronald Weasley. You must believe me."

"Right. If you're a spirit of the moon, why are you in this bloody tower instead of the sky? Answer me that."

"I am anchored to this spot, unable to rise to the skies."

"Oh, puh-leeze. That is such utter garbage."

"Then to prove that I am not one of your brothers' tricks to you, ask me something that they know not. Will that appease your doubts?"

"Okay, I'll play." Ron was still looking around the room trying to hear snickers or anything. Seeing none, he started trying to think of a good question. He had one in under a minute. "Okay, *moon spirit*, here's one for you. Who do I love with all my heart?"

Ron was smug. He was waiting for the *spirit* to say Hermione, or maybe Fleur. He wasn't worried about Fred or George knowing about Harry, since only Hermione and Seamus knew and they weren't the ones to tell something like that.

"Harry Potter," the spirit answered immediately. Ron's jaw dropped almost to the ground.

"Huh? You knew…."

"I told you the truth, Ronald. I can see inside you."

It appeared that Ron was coming to believe the spirit. "One more question."

"You have to but ask it."

"Why have I been here for five years and I've never heard of you before?"

"I've been dormant for many years now. To be quite honest with you Ronald, I believe you awakened me."

"I awakened you? How did I do that"

"I believe that it is your powerful emotions. It was like being in a pitch black room when a powerful light is turned on."

"My powerful emotions? You make it sound like I'm a crying little girl."

"No, Ronald Weasley, that is not my intent. Powerful emotions aren't something relegated to females or to be hidden. They are wonderful things. They make life so much more vibrant. Many people would kill to be able to feel as you do, both the good and the bad."

Ron's head was spinning. He was sitting in the astronomy tower in the early hours of Saturday morning listening to a spirit tell him about his powerful emotions. "This is getting quite interesting," he thought to himself. "So how long have you been here anyways?" he asked.

"I saw the Romans come over two thousand years ago. I saw them leave. The Norse and the Saxons followed. Welsh, Irish, I've seen them all come and go."

"Whoa," was all Ron could reply.

"Before the Romans, I saw nomadic peoples. Before them, isolated tribes. I have been here since your recorded history began, and probably before that."

"Whoa," Ron said again, sounding very much like Keanu Reeves in the Martrix.

"So in all that time, have you been, um, awoken before?"

"A handful of times. Mostly in passing. Never so close or so incredibly strong as last year."

"You've not felt Harry Potter? He has strong emotions, too. He's been through a lot."

"No, I haven't. Experiences alone won't give you powerful emotions. They are something that you either have, or in most peoples' case, don't have."

This was surprising to Ron to say the least. Here was something that Harry couldn't do, or couldn't have. He puffed his wet chest out a little.

"I can feel your heavy mind, Ronald, would you care to unburden it? I will help you in any way I can."

Ron deeply thought about the offer. Here was his chance. He wouldn't have to go to a teacher and probably get sent off to St. Mungo's. Why not? He already felt a little better just talking to the spirit in the first place. Maybe he could get over his jealousy and get back to being friends with Harry.

"How could you help me, spirit?"

"I was once a wise shaman in my tribe. Helping people was what I did. Would you like me to help you as well?"

"I think that would be a good idea. You aren't going to go and tell everyone once we're finished here, right?"

"Even if I desired to, I couldn't, Ronald Weasley. I don't believe any one else could be receptive to me."

"As in they wouldn't be able to hear you?"

"Exactly," the spirit said. "I will be here always. You have to but come to me."

"Where should I begin?" Ron asked the spirit.

"The beginning of your problems is always a good place to start," the spirit said.

Ron began recounting every detail about the day they flew to Newhaven and continued. He talked until nearly three in the morning. He had told the spirit everything. His uncontrolled rage, cursing Draco in Diagon Alley, everything. The spirit asked all the right questions and most importantly listened to every word. By the time he was finished, he felt like a brand new person. A brand new, very tired person.

"You are near exhaustion. You should return to your dormitory and rest."

"I think that (yawn) you are right." Ron pulled himself up and picked up his nearly dry robes. "You said I could come back anytime, right?"

"Anytime, Ronald Weasley. I'm not going anywhere."

"Was that a joke?" he asked the spirit.

"A small one." Ron was sure that if the spirit had a face, it was grinning a bit.

"One more thing before I go," he called out "I feel a bit odd calling you *spirit* (A/N: plus I can't seem to ever spell it right). Do you have a name?"

"My tribe once called me Surtain. Will that work for you?"

"That will be fine. I'll talk to you again soon, Surtain."

"Goodnight, Ronald Weasley."

Ron tossed his robes over his shoulder and walked out the door. He looked alive again. More important, he felt alive again. After the door closed, a silver circle glimmered on the hard polished stone of the Astronomy Tower, chasing itself like the lights on some restaurants.



~ ~ ~ ~ ~Meanwhile, back in the Gryffindor common room, sometime during Ron's monologue ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hot. Oh goodness. Get away from it. A small hand wipes sweat off its owner's forehead. Colin woke up drenched in sweat. It felt like he was sitting in the fireplace. He opened one eye and checked just to be sure. Nope, he was still sitting in the chair with Harry and was curled up against him. The fire had burnt to embers. The grandfather clock said it was just after two in the morning. He closed his eye and tried to go back to sleep. Holy cow. Colin reached a hand down and pulled the blanket off himself. That didn't seem to help.

Colin felt like he'd just gotten out of a sauna with all his clothes on. He opened his eyes, both this time, and glanced at Harry. He seemed to be completely dry, except for where Colin's head had been. He glanced up at Harry's face and saw an orange glow emanating from under his shirt, illuminating his neck. That seemed to be what was so bloody hot.

"Harry. Harry!" Colin was shaking Harry, trying to wake him up.

"No, I don't want to mix that potion, Professor," was the reply Colin got.

"Harry, wake up. I think you're on fire or something." He shook Harry harder. Finally he came around.

"Is it morning already?"

"No, look at your shirt." Harry did. Seeing the glow, he reached into his shirt and pulled out the stone. Colin yelped, expecting Harry to get burned badly, but he didn't. He pulled it out and looked at it. It was all aglow.

"Isn't that hot, Harry? It feels like I'm sitting next to a furnace."

"No, I'm fine. It feels a little warm, that's all. Like it always has."

As Harry was examining it, the glow suddenly went out and the heat Colin talked about left. "Well, it was hot. Now it's fine again," Colin said.

"I wonder what the bloody hell that was about. Definitely odd."

"Let's worry about it in the morning," Colin answered, already getting tired again.

"I agree." Harry put the stone back under his shirt and settled back down. The two dozed back to sleep in the chair.

~ ~ ~ ~ Back to everyone's favorite redhead ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ron practically hopped back to the dormitory. He was so refreshed, so alive, so un-depressed. He popped into the room and saw the two sleeping boys in the chair. Earlier his response would have been to cry or get angry. This time it was the old Ron. He smiled at the two of them and put the cover back over them. He stepped back and looked at the two of them for a few moments. He felt like a father looking at his children. So happy for them. He honestly did feel good about seeing them like that. Whatever Surtain did sure did work.

Ron tucked Colin in a bit more and ran a hand across the boy's cheek. He noticed the room had picked up a chill so he relit the fire. Still smiling, he went up the steps to his dormitory.

Tomorrow was going to be a great day, he just knew it. Just like the old days.



Seems like everything's turned out okay, doesn't it? Is Old Ron back? He might be. But that would be too simple wouldn't it? Do you really think that I'd let them all get off so easily? Bah. If you think things were weird before, just stand by. (Actually, I needed a break from all the angst) I would love to type for hours more, but I have to go to work this morning. (dammit) I've not beta-read this chapter due to time constraints, so if it is terrible, bear with me and I'll fix it tonight. Read and review as always!!!!