Chapter Ten
When Nothing Matters
Ron made his way up to Ravenclaw tower still thinking of Sirius' words. 'Do him a favor, don't be even more selfish, tell him to side with Hermione, at least you still have that girl in Ravenclaw.' Yes, he did have that girl in Ravenclaw, Padma. Ron had dated Padma for almost two weeks now, and not only was he happier for it, his marks in Astrology improved greatly. Ron would have to tell Harry to side with Hermione. He would be a friend to Harry, by not being a friend. Ron didn't know why he let Sirius get to him, he was used to ignoring everybody who was saying something Ron didn't want to hear, but some how, he had listened, and it sunk through.
Ron entered the Ravenclaw Common Room to see Padma looking fidgety. Ron went to kiss her as their way of greeting, but she pulled away.
"Ron, I need to talk to you. Sit down." Padma says softly.
"I think I'll stand. What is it?" Ron asks.
"Look, I like tutoring you in Astrology, but as for dating I think I've found somebody better, who's not at your speed. I'm sorry Ron, I'm just not that type of girl." Padma says.
"Not that type of girl? Padma, I've done nothing more than kiss you. If that was too much, I'm sorry, I won't do that then." Ron says.
"No, Ron, you went up my robes. I feel uncomfortable around you now. I'm not ready to have a relationship with someone like you. Besides, I don't want to get in trouble, and you here, is suspicious." Padma says.
Ron didn't say anything, as he thought a moment. He was in disbelief. He was hurt. He couldn't show her or anybody else the satisfaction though. So he ran a hand through his hair.
"You're right. I moved too fast, and I would never do anything to hurt you. I hope we can still be friends, because I really need somebody to help me in Astrology." Ron says.
"Well, I'll be more than happy to help you. I'm glad you're taking this so well. I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you." Padma says.
"Oh you didn't. You just surprised me. Thank you for being honest with me though, er, I guess I better go." Ron says. He forced a smile on his face to show he was all right, and then he left.
Ron walked back to the common room cursing himself in his head. 'Stupid fool, Hermione was right. She always is, why are you so stupid? How could you expect Padma to stay with somebody like you?' The words echoed in his head, 'someone like you.' Ron went up to his dormitory and wrote his thoughts down in his journal, as he always did. The last sentence of his entry was the following: I won't let anybody hurt me again.
Harry was in the common room with Hermione when Ron came back downstairs with his books. Harry stood up. "Ron, could you come here a second?" Harry asks.
"No." Ron answers coldly.
"Ron, grow up, will you. You're not going to listen to Harry, because he's standing next to me?" Hermione asks.
"Harry, look you'll have no problem with this, side with Hermione, because frankly she has no other friends, and she needs one, might as well be you." Ron says harshly and leaves the common room.
Ron had to say it meanly because if he didn't Harry might talk him into making up with Hermione, which wouldn't be too bad, and he'd try and talk Ron back into being friends with him, but in order to be a friend to Harry, Ron decided to follow Sirius' words and not be a friend to Harry. This was the stupidest decision he ever made and he decided not to follow anybody else's decisions but his own. This was the last one.
Ron felt that everything that he had was gone. He had no friends, his girlfriend dumped him, his parents weren't thrilled with him, but they were still there. Ron sighed; at least he had his family. Even if they didn't understand him, they loved him. Nobody understood him. Half the time he didn't understand himself.
Things went from bad to worse in only a few days' time. Parvati had spread the rumor about Ron being fast and said that he dumped Padma, and Ron knew he wouldn't have a chance with any girl in fifth year now. Not to mention, Hermione was happier than ever. She had been receiving owls from Viktor Krum, her boyfriend from Bulgaria. She kept boasting about him to the other girls, but they were fascinated, and envious, but interested in her relationship with an International Quidditch star at the same time. Ron didn't know why he felt sick to his stomach every time he heard the name, he just felt ill. He was glad they weren't friends anymore, because otherwise Ron would've lost it after hearing about Viktor so much.
Ron had the twins inform Harry about their weekend Quidditch practices, and didn't speak to him at all during them. Ron had come up with a plan for the girls as he told them on the field. Harry was up in the air looking for the snitch that had been released, Fred and George were aiming beaters at each other, but Ron stayed on the ground with the girls.
"One of you should stay at the other end of the field. If all three of you are up on one side, whether you score or not, the other team's keeper will throw it down to their players, which will probably be on the other side. One of you should be down there to block them and steal the Quaffle when Fred and George hit a beater at the other team's chasers. Or if you're all down here when the other team's trying to score against me, which would be easier, flying all the way back to the other side, or throwing it to another of you who's already waiting for it?" Ron asks.
"That's not a half bad idea." Alicia says.
"It's a pretty good idea." Angelina adds.
"Let's try it." Katie says.
"Let's get Sean in the air too." Ron suggests.
"I'll get him." Alicia says running over to the stands where their reserve keeper sat. A sixth year boy, by the name of Sean came down to the field with his broomstick in his hand.
"Sean, you take the other post and stop them from scoring. When you throw it to one of them, throw it to whomever's farthest down the field toward me." Ron says.
"All right." Sean says.
They practiced, Fred and George were sending bludgers at everyone, and Katie would hang back towards Sean's side and wait for the Quaffle, which went sailing past Angelina and Alicia who were still on Ron's side. Angelina threw it toward the post farthest from Ron, but Ron flew quickly, even on a school broom, and blocked it. He sent it sailing to Alicia who was halfway down the field. Alicia tried sending it past Sean, but his broom blocked it. Katie caught it though and put it past him, as he wasn't expecting it.
The practices went well and soon enough, it was a week before their first match of the season. Their first match would be against Ravenclaw, but there was still a week before it, a week that definitely wasn't the best for Ron.
Ron had been concentrating only on Quidditch, forgetting his problems with the fifth year girls. He was reminded however when he ran into Tabitha Lovegood in the corridor.
"Hey Ron." Tabitha says.
"Hey Tabitha." Ron says wondering why she was talking to him, when every other fifth year girl wouldn't even stay a minute around him.
"I just wanted to say good luck on the Quidditch game." Tabitha says.
"Thank you Tabitha, it's nice to hear some nice words for once." Ron says.
"You mean girls still won't date you because of Padma?" Tabitha asks.
"Date me? They'd have to talk to me first." Ron says.
"That's horrible." Tabitha says.
"Tabitha, would you ever go out with someone like me? I mean that hypothetically." Ron says.
"Of course, why not? She spread a rumor that you dumped her, big deal. She told me that she dumped you, and guess who she dumped you for." Tabitha says.
"I don't know. Who?" Ron asks.
"Toby." Tabitha says.
Ron went to ask about Toby, when he looked up at Tabitha again. She is really sweet, and she's gorgeous. A thought hit him.
"Tabitha, would you go out with me? I… I mean if you're available, and if you want to…" Ron starts.
Tabitha smiled widely. "I'd love to." She said simply.
Over the course of the week, he spent some time with Tabitha in the library, helping her at Transfiguration, which he was secretly good at, while she helped him with Potions. She hated Snape, but she always had top marks in that class.
Ron also spent some time in the Ravenclaw common room with her. They made out in armchairs by the fire. One evening at dinner, Tabitha who was cuddled up on Ron's lap fell asleep on Ron, who also fell asleep with his arms wrapped around her. The fire was warm and they were completely relaxed.
However, this did not go well with Toby or Padma who walked in together.
"How could he go out with somebody else so quickly?" Padma asks in shock. She believed she had captured Ron's heart, and she was just going out with Toby to compare. She had planned on taking Ron back, so she had spread a rumor about him breaking her heart, but all girls didn't take the warning like she had wanted them to.
"What the hell is he doing with my sister?" Toby asks angrily.
Toby walks over to them and punches Ron in the face waking him up, and causing Tabitha to wake up unsure of what made Ron move so suddenly.
"What's…" Tabitha starts, but sees her brother, "Toby!" Tabitha yells.
Toby rips Tabitha off of Ron's lap. Ron gets up and starts to walk toward her to comfort her, but Toby grabs him by the arm, making Ron turn, and he punches him in the face, hard to the ground. Toby tackles him and starts punching him, but Ron punched him in the face, and rolled him off of him. He stood up, but as he started to walk away or turn back to yell at Toby, he hadn't made up his mind, Toby grabbed his leg and Ron fell face first on to the hard Ravenclaw floor. Padma screamed, while Tabitha tried to separate the two boys.
"Stop Toby!" Tabitha yells.
"What is going on here?" A voice of an adult rang through the room. Professor Sinistra had entered.
Toby stood up and helped Ron up.
"Mr. Weasley, didn't Professor Dumbledore say that you would be suspended if you fought again?" Professor Sinistra asks.
"With Malfoy… if I fought again with Malfoy, Professor." Ron says quickly.
"We weren't fighting Professor, we were just wrestling." Toby adds quickly. He knew the consequences for Ron, if he were to be suspended.
"Right, well Mr. Weasley, before anymore trouble arises, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave." Professor Sinistra says.
"Yes Professor." Ron says.
He casts a sorry look to Tabitha and an appreciative look to Toby before he leaves.
Ron entered the common room to see a mob of the Gryffindor students around the armchairs by the fireplace. Ron could hear somebody shout, "Will you sign this, please Mr. Krum?" Ron stopped dead. Krum was here. He wondered why? He thought it best to not even go near trouble. He started to head for the dorm, when Ginny stopped him.
"Hey Gin." Ron says.
"Have you been fighting again? McGonagall says you'll be suspended if you fight again. You haven't been suspended have you?" Ginny asks.
"I'll be suspended if I fight with Malfoy, but I wasn't fighting." Ron says.
"Then how did you get that bruise?" George asks.
"I tripped and fell?" Ron says sarcastically, trying to answer so that they would accept it and leave him alone. He started up the stairs.
"If you got a black eye from tripping and falling, then I'm Professor McGonagall." Fred yells up to Ron who was on the staircase. This was attracting people's attention.
"Why would McGonagall transfigure herself into an idiot?" Ron asks.
"Hey!" Fred yells. He chases Ron up the staircase.
Fred comes downstairs, once Ron sat against the door, keeping Fred out.
"I think somebody wants spiders all over his dorm again." George says.
"Those who share that dorm object." Dean says quickly.
Ron was upstairs writing in his journal when the door clicked open. Dean, Neville, Seamus, Harry, and… Krum entered. Dean, Seamus, and Neville seemed to be asking questions about Quidditch, while Harry remained silent. Harry and Viktor Krum walked over to Ron's bed. Harry pulls the curtains surrounding Ron's bed. Ron looks up.
"Can I help you?" Ron asks impatiently.
"Just thought I'd show you that he's back." Harry says.
"Welcome back." Ron says without looking up.
"I vas vondering vhy you are mad at Hermione and Harry." Viktor says.
"I'm not mad at them." Ron says.
"But you're not talking to them." Viktor says.
"I just asked Harry what he wanted." Ron says.
"You are mad because he sided with Hermione, no?" Viktor asks.
"I'm not mad at anybody." Ron says.
"Then why won't you talk to me?" Harry asks.
"I talk to you." Ron says. "See I just did."
"You know what I mean, Ron." Harry says.
"We're not friends anymore Harry." Ron says.
"Why not?" Harry asks. "Because you told me to side with Hermione?"
"No, because I want to be on my own for once." Ron lies.
"Ron that makes no sense." Harry says.
"Because I'm tired and you talking to me isn't going to let me sleep, therefore causing me to make less and less sense. So do you mind?" Ron asks.
Harry shook his head in defeat and lay down on his bed. Viktor didn't leave.
"Vhy are you mad at Hermione? She's very upset." Viktor says.
"Look it's really not your business, and like I told Harry, I'm tired. So the door's that way." Ron says pointing.
Viktor left Ron's bed, but did not leave the dorm. A sixth bed had been planted in their dormitory making Ron angrier than before. Ron didn't understand why Viktor Krum made him feel sick, but he always felt unpleasant around him.
The next day went fine up until a double potions lesson. Snape decided that Malfoy shouldn't have to sit next to Ron, leaving Ron free to sit with whomever he wanted. He chose to sit next to Neville, because usually nobody would partner him as Potions was his worst subject, but Ron figured he could be of some assistance.
Ron and Neville were taking down ingredients and notes they would need for the Aging potion they were making when Parvati slipped Ron a note. Professor Snape saw her pass it and walked up to Ron and stole the note from him, before he could read it."Well, well, well, this is interesting. I understand Ms. Patil why you had to ask him this during class, of course." Professor Snape says sarcastically.
"Ask me what?" Ron asks.
"Ms. Patil would like to know if you got that black eye from Mr. Lovegood after getting caught in a compromising situation with his sister." Professor Snape says.
"What?" Ron asks.
Professor Snape shows him the parchment. Ron read in horror. Is it true that Tobias Lovegood gave you that black eye after catching you sleeping with his sister? Ron blinked in disbelief.
"No, that's not true!" Ron says to Parvati and Snape.
"How about I give you a truth potion to see if it's true?" Professor Snape asks.
"Please do, it'll prove that Padma's just spreading rumors." Ron says glaring at Parvati.
Professor Snape stopped smiling knowing Ron was telling the truth. "Copy the notes down." He snapped at Ron.
Ron continued to, still glaring at Parvati.
The lesson went by smoothly until they were stirring their potions. Neville's cauldron blew up. Ron could see tears of fear and humiliation fill Neville's eyes as Professor Snape walks up to him dangerously.
Professor Snape grabbed Neville's notebook and looked at Neville threateningly. "What part don't you understand? Can't you read your own scribble? It says take the cauldron off of the fire before adding the armadillo bile! What part of that don't you understand?" Professor Snape yells.
"You don't have to yell, he can hear you! Everybody in this room can hear you! He obviously knows he was supposed to take the cauldron off the fire, now… He made a mistake. Instead of wasting time humiliating him, why don't you just repair the cauldron like you always do for Goyle." Ron says.
Professor Snape turned to Ron with dangerous eyes. "MR. WEASLEY SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Snape yells.
"It wasn't open." Ron mutters.
Gryffindors gasped, while Slytherins laughed. They all knew he had gone overboard this time, and the Slytherins couldn't wait for Snape to humiliate him.
"Congratulations, Mr. Weasley you just earned yourself another detention, and in addition to Mr. Longbottom's ten points from Gryffindor, you've just lost an additional sixty for your mouth." Professor Snape says. "You may all thank him later." He adds to the Gryffindors.
"Why can't they thank me now? You've wasted so much time humiliating people already, what could a little more distraction do?" Ron asks smartly. He was glad he didn't care about anybody but himself at the moment, otherwise he'd have to worry.
"Mr. Weasley, you're excused from this class." Professor Snape says.
"Is that a choice or an order, I'm just wondering?" Ron says grinning.
"GET OUT!" Professor Snape says.
"Gladly." Ron says and he leaves.
"Note that Mr. Weasley has lost Gryffindor a hundred points, that does not include the ten points from Mr. Longbottom or the ten points from Ms. Patil." Professor Snape says reminding them of the note.
Ron was glad nobody talked to him, as they were ashamed of him for losing so many points from Gryffindor, Harry and Hermione wanted to yell at him, but he made it clear to them to stay away from him. There were only two people really being friendly to him. One was Neville, because nobody really stuck up for him before. The other was Tabitha, and as she wasn't in Gryffindor, she couldn't complain. Toby wasn't talking to him for two reasons, one was because they had a Quidditch match coming up, and he didn't want their friendship to interfere with him winning. The second reason was because Ron was dating his sister, and Tabitha had written to their mother who sent Toby a howler for jumping to conclusions and fighting with Ron.
Ron stayed as far away as he could from Gryffindor tower's common room, because Krum kept asking about why he ended friendships with Harry and Hermione. Krum was there to watch the first Quidditch match of the season, to see Harry as seeker and to treat Hermione to a date at Hogsmeade the next day as a belated birthday present.
Finally, the week had passed and Ron was in the locker room already changed into his Quidditch robes. The twins approached him before they went out.
"We got you this." George says handing him a Nimbus 2000.
"What why?" Ron asks.
"From our earnings, we paid for it. We figured we owe you from the spiders. I hope we're even." Fred says.
"Now, do us a favor, and help us win." George says.
"Definitely." Ron says happily. He stared at the Nimbus 2000. It wasn't a Firebolt, but it was still a better broom then the twins had, and it came from them.
They all flew out, and Ron shook hands with Toby before Madam Hooch released the balls.
Ron flew to the scoring post. He watched as the girls took the Quaffle. Angelina and Katie soared down passing the Quaffle to each other, while Katie waited halfway down the field. Katie threw it to Angelina, and Angelina threw it in the post scoring Gryffindor ten points. Ravenclaw's keeper threw the Quaffle a good distance, and Katie flew up and caught it easily. She threw it back to Alicia and Alicia put another one in the post. The keeper threw it to Toby who flew next to him to catch it, and flew down the pitch dodging the girls and the bludgers. He got right up to the goal posts, but Ron knowing he would throw through the left hoop soared and stopped it. Ron threw it down the other side of the field where Katie waited and caught the Quaffle. The other team's keeper didn't expect it, and therefore Gryffindor had thirty points.
Once Gryffindor had seventy points to twenty, Harry spotted the snitch, but a bludger sent his way stopped him. He meanwhile was distracted with Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw seeker, who he secretly had a crush on, up in the air looking for the snitch.
The game was getting longer and longer. Toby had actually put four Quaffles past Ron, but Gryffindor still had a good lead.
Toby was coming at Ron who was distracting him by flying back and forth, when a bludger sent by a beater on Ravenclaw hit Ron hard across the neck. He blacked out, and fell off his broom. Toby put the Quaffle in the hoop, but stopped playing.
"You need to call a time out, I think he's hurt!" Toby cried to Angelina.
Angelina had already thought that, and called a time out with Madam Hooch. Harry who had been in the clouds with Cho heard Madam Hooch's whistle blow and heard Lee Jordan who was commentating say "Gryffindor has called a time out."
Harry flew down to see why. When he got to the ground, Toby, and the Ravenclaw beaters were there. The beaters were apologizing to the team who were all running over to Ron. Angelina got to Ron first, and she let out a blood-curdling scream.
The twins rushed over. "What happened?" Fred asks.
"His neck, his neck is broken!" Angelina chokes.
"Oh my God." George says bending down to see if his brother was still alive. He was barely breathing, his neck was broken, he lay unconscious and there was blood on his mouth.
Madam Hooch flew down to tell them their time out was up, and that if they weren't back in the air now, they'd have to forfeit the match, but that was until she saw Ron.
"Oh my…" Madam Hooch started.
"He's alive, but only just. We need to get him up to the hospital wing, but we can't move him." George says.
Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall were rushing onto the field. Everybody at once knew something was terribly wrong, for a time out to last so long.
"What's happened?" Professor McGonagall asks.
"I hit a bludger toward him, only to distract him, I didn't know it was going to hit him, and I didn't know it was going to do that…" The beater cries.
"His neck is broken." Madam Hooch says to the professors.
Professor McGonagall covered her mouth with disbelief.
"He's alive, but we need to get him up to Poppy without damaging his neck even more." Madam Hooch says.
Professor Dumbledore conjured a stretcher from underneath Ron's body. It rose until it was a good height off the ground. "Resume play, I'll take him to the hospital wing." Professor Dumbledore says pushing the stretcher toward the castle.
"We need Sean." George says ever so softly.
"I'll get him." Harry offers.
"You have five minutes." Madam Hooch says.
The other team's beaters were still upset with themselves. It was the beaters' job to knock the other team's players off their brooms, but they almost killed Ron.
The Ravenclaw's were at an advantage when Sean took over as keeper. Toby was a really good chaser. They were tied at a hundred when both Cho and Harry saw the snitch. Harry dove down, farther down… He was right on it's tail… He caught it.
Roars from the Gryffindors filled the stands. Gryffindors rushed down to the field to congratulate Harry.
All Harry wanted to do was see how Ron was doing, but he couldn't. Madam Pomfrey wouldn't let him in.
Ron awoke the next day, when everybody else was at Hogsmeade. His neck was better then new, and the only scars he had was the black eye Toby had given him, and the cut lip the bludger had left.
Ron left the hospital wing and found the Gryffindor tower deserted. The second and first years were all in the Great Hall. Ron could tell they had won from the mess of the common room and decorations that had been left up. Ron left the common room and walked over to Ravenclaw tower. He gave the password and entered, surprised to see Tabitha there. He had come over to be with her, but he doubted she would be here, when she could be at Hogsmeade. She smiled when she saw him. She put down her book and walked over to him. She hugged him gently, afraid of hurting him, and she kissed him.
"How are you feeling?" Tabitha asks.
"Good as new. Why aren't you at Hogsmeade like everybody else?" Ron asks.
"Madam Pomfrey said she would release you today, and I knew you weren't allowed to Hogsmeade, so I stayed here, hoping I could see you in secret." Tabitha says.
"I wasn't sure if you'd be here, I was hoping you would, but still…" Ron says.
"It really scared me when they told me your neck was broken. Thank God Madam Pomfrey can heal everything." Tabitha says.
"I'm sorry if I scared you." Ron says kissing Tabitha's neck.
"I know a way you could make up for it." Tabitha says nibbling on his ear.
"Name it, it's half done." Ron says.
"Well, the girls in my dorm are all at Hogsmeade…" Tabitha says.
"Are you sure?" Ron asks.
"Yes, everybody except me and you who is above third year is at Hogsmeade." Tabitha says.
"No I meant, are you sure you want to do that?" Ron asks.
"Let's see what happens…" Tabitha says, and she leads Ron up to her dorm.
Meanwhile, in Hogsmeade Hermione was having a butterbeer with Viktor Krum at Honeydukes. Harry found Padfoot and followed him into a cave. Padfoot changed into Sirius' human form and hugged Harry.
"How are you doing?" Sirius asks.
"Horrible. Ron's not talking to me Sirius. He wouldn't even let me say anything he just told me to choose sides with Hermione, and he's been really cold toward me." Harry says.
"I told you, he doesn't care about anybody but himself. Maybe it was for the best." Sirius says.
"I can't see how, Sirius, I'm lonely. Hermione's always going on about her boyfriend, or she's nagging me to study. Now her boyfriend's here, and she hasn't had time for me." Harry says.
"Harry, Hermione will get sick of her boyfriend soon, whoever it is, trust me. Then she will be right there for you. But as for Ron, let's put it this way, you don't have detentions with him, do you?" Sirius asks.
"You don't understand Sirius." Harry says. "You don't understand."
Meanwhile, four hours later around six o'clock the students were still at Hogsmeade, but Ron and Tabitha were walking on the grounds. They were skipping rocks in the lake, when a cold voice came up from behind them.
"Well, Weasley you did have me entertained. I had a good laugh when there was a chatter of you being dead running through the crowd." Malfoy taunts.
"That's what it takes for you to have a good laugh? For me all I have to see is your face, and the memory of the bouncing ferret takes place." Ron says smartly without looking at him.
Malfoy pushed Ron into the lake. Ron hadn't expected the push, but stumbled head first into the freezing depths of the lake. Tabitha screamed.
"Ron! Ron!" Tabitha cries. "Where is he?" Tabitha shrieked.
"I don't know. It was his own fault, he pushed me." Malfoy says.
"ONLY AFTER YOU PUSHED HIM!" Tabitha yells. "Go find him! He might've hit his head!" Tabitha cries.
"ME?" Malfoy asks incredulously.
"If he dies, I'll be the first to inform Dumbledore!" Tabitha says.
"Why don't you find him?" Malfoy asks.
"And let you be responsible for two people drowning? I can't swim!" Tabitha says.
Malfoy jumped into the water. He didn't see Ron anywhere. Was this a joke? Had he come up already? Malfoy surfaced and took a deep breath, his lungs freezing. He looked around, Tabitha was crying, as she ran to get some help. Malfoy looked for any sign of red, and he saw it. Ron was floating in the freezing water, kilometers away. Malfoy swam under water avoiding Grindylows with his wand. He finally caught up to Ron who was apparently breathing, and swimming. He was fighting creatures that kept pulling him down. Malfoy helped a Grindylow away and they climbed on to land. However they climbed onto land in the Forbidden Forest!
"Crap this is not good." Ron muttered under his breath. His lips were blue and he was awfully pale. He shivered as October wind swept over them. Then to make matters worse, it was starting to storm.
"Which way's the castle?" Ron asks through clattering teeth.
"I… I don't remember. I… got distracted with the Grindylows." Malfoy says.
Both boys were scared, but neither dared admit it. "D… Do you remember where the Forbidden Forest ends?" Ron asks.
"Hogsmeade station, right?" Malfoy asks.
"Well, we'll come out one end or the other." Ron says, and he starts walking.
Malfoy follows him. "I think this is the way back to Hogwarts, but the trees are too big, I can't see any sign of the castle." Malfoy says.
"I'll climb a tree." Ron suggests, and he did. There were all sorts of birds in the forest. Ron was afraid they'd come after him, but he climbed higher and higher still.
Finally, he was able to see it. "Malfoy! It's straight." Ron yells pointing.
"How are you going to get down?" Malfoy yells sounding irritated.
Ron jumped off the top branch of the tree and did a cannon ball into the freezing lake. Ron climbed over to the forest, and he pulled himself out of the water and lay down on the ground coughing. He coughed a good ten minutes before he was able to stand up.
"It's that way." Ron says. They started walking in silence. They knew they would have to work together if they wanted to get out alive.
Ron was sweating while shivering. He knew he was going to be very sick if they got out.
They were walking a good distance before they heard something move in the forest.
"Who's there?" Malfoy shouted. Both boys pulled out their wands.
"Should we shoot sparks?" Ron asks.
"What for?" Malfoy asks. "I don't think anybody would see them."
"No, to scare whatever's there." Ron says.
"No, let's keep moving." Malfoy says.
"Your right, sending up sparks would let the creature know where we were." Ron says.
Malfoy stopped. "I think it's already found us." Malfoy says looking at Ron. Ron looked up ahead.
Standing ahead of them growling viciously was a huge creature. It had the head of a lion, a goat's body, and a dragon's tail. "That's a Chimaera, they're extremely dangerous. There's only been one successful slaying." Ron whispers. "Climb a tree, quickly."
The boys ran as fast as they could and climbed the two closest trees, but the Chimaera bit Ron's ankle painfully trying to pull him back down. Ron cried out in pain, but climbed out of the Chimaera's reach. He climbed level with Malfoy on a branch and waited for the Chimaera to leave them alone. It however paced back and forth around the two trees.
Ron sent down sparks at the creature, but it only aggravated the creature more. Ron shivered as the branches blew wind on him. He was still freezing from the rain and the depths of the lake.
"What do we do now?" Malfoy asks.
Ron climbed the tree higher, but climbed back down.
"I don't know I can't see anything except the castle. If I knew people were around, I'd send up sparks, and maybe somebody would come for us." Ron says.
"Send up sparks anyway, maybe there are people looking." Malfoy says.
Ron sent up red sparks that shown high above them in the forest. He was sure the villagers of Hogsmeade could see them. They waited ten minutes, and heard nothing. Ron wanted to cry in frustration. He was hurt, sick, and cold. Then a sudden idea occurred to him.
"ACCIO NIMBUS 2000." Ron yells with a flick of his wand.
"What are you doing?" Malfoy asks.
"Summoning my broom, I figure I could fly out of here." Ron says.
"Not a half bad idea Weasley." Malfoy says. "ACCIO NIMBUS 2001!" Malfoy says with his wand. They both waited and listened.
Nothing came.
"Locked in the broom shed." Malfoy says frustrated.
"That's it then." Ron says. "Lumos!" Ron 's wand let light appear at the tip of his wand.
"What are you doing?" Malfoy asks.
"I'm going to die of pneumonia or I'll just bleed to death if I stay here. That Chimaera thing's gone. I figure I have a better chance of running or even swimming at this rate. Sitting in this tree isn't doing anything." Ron says.
"Let's swim back, your girlfriend was running for help when I jumped in after you. Maybe she thought we were still in the water." Malfoy says.
Ron nods. "All right." Ron jumps from the tree into the freezing water.
Malfoy follows. Together they swim up to the clearing between the forest and the castle, and they climb out. Both boys were exhausted, freezing, hurt, and sick.
"Now how do we get to there?" Ron asks. He was pulling himself up, but it was a real job with a leg losing a lot of blood, completely soaked robes, and exhaustion weighing him down.
"It's not that far, there aren't any obstacles in the way." Malfoy says, but he too was tired. They trudged up to the castle doors. Everybody was already back and eating in the Great Hall.
Mrs. Norris, Filch's cat came out into the entrance hall and meowed for Filch. Filch, the caretaker came out of the Great Hall and smiled viciously as he saw the two of them. One leaking blood, mud, and water as he entered, the other just water and mud.
"You two wait here." Filch says.
"Good, because I don't think I can move anymore." Ron says leaning against the oak doors.
To the students of the school, everybody knew that in order for Filch to be happy, a student had to be in a lot of trouble, and when Filch practically skipped up to the Head table everybody knew that somebody was in very deep trouble. Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape left the Great Hall with Filch, who had only told them that the three of them must come see this. He didn't mention this was actually a them.
The Professors followed Filch into the entrance hall, where they saw Ron bleeding, and shivering violently, and where they saw Malfoy shivering, not as badly, but scratched up.
"Both of you to the hospital wing." Professor McGonagall says grabbing Ron's arm gently, trying to lead him to the hospital wing.
The professors led them to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey screamed as she saw the two of them, soaking and freezing and in the case of Ron, bleeding.
She got them on to beds. She changed their clothes magically into dry ones and put enchanted heating blankets around each of them. She gave them both goblets of Pepper-up potion, and cleaned Ron's leg. Ron fell asleep instantly, before Madam Pomfrey would let anybody question them. Draco stayed awake though to tell the story.
The next morning when Ron awoke he was checked over by Madam Pomfrey and then told to go to Professor Dumbledore's office, where he went. He limped up the staircases to Dumbledore's office. He sat outside Dumbledore's office, when the gargoyle sprang to life opening the door. Ron walked up the spiral moving staircase and knocked on Dumbledore's door. Professor McGonagall opened it.
"Mr. Weasley, come in and have a seat." Professor McGonagall says.
Ron sat silently down in his chair.
"I thought I told you if you were fighting again, you'd be suspended." Professor Dumbledore says.
"Yes sir, you said if you caught me and Malfoy fighting you'd suspend us both. Sir we didn't fight." Ron says.
"Mr. Weasley, you and Mr. Malfoy were in the Forbidden Forest yesterday, you didn't get there by talking." Professor McGonagall snaps.
"Malfoy pushed me in the Great Lake after an exchange of words, but I guess he came after me, I didn't get to speak to Tabitha about how he fell in yet." Ron says.
"Ms. Lovegood told us what happened. You were in the Forbidden Forest because you fought with Mr. Malfoy. You have to learn when to close your mouth. I've given you far too many chances already." Professor McGonagall says.
"Are you suspending me?" Ron asks with disbelief.
"You left me no choice." Professor McGonagall says.
"For how long?" Ron asks.
"Two weeks." Professor McGonagall says.
"Two weeks? Professor, I can't afford to miss two weeks of classes!" Ron cries.
"You should've thought of that before you sank to Mr. Malfoy's bait." Professor McGonagall says.
"Yes mam. May I be excused? I have to pack." Ron says miserably.
"Yes, meet me at noon in the entrance hall ready to leave." Professor McGonagall says.
"Yes Professor." Ron says miserably. He leaves the office.
"You have to hand it to them Minerva, they didn't fight, and both of them came back alive." Professor Dumbledore says.
"I've given him too many chances. Ron is out of control. Professor Sinistra said he was involved in a fight with Mr. Lovegood. Professor Snape overheard rumors of being caught in compromising situations with different girls all over the castle. If I let him stay, the next time I talk to him, it may be the last, because he's too far out of control even for us." Professor McGonagall says.
"Mr. Malfoy seems to be out of control as well, but Severus did not suspend him." Professor Dumbledore says.
"Mr. Malfoy is not my student. You have every right to override my decision to suspend Mr. Weasley, but I can't make rules and then not enforce them, because otherwise my house would do the same, especially with the Weasley twins. 'Oh our brother wasn't suspended for being in the forest…' I don't wish to be mean, but a student in my house can't be as out of control as he has been. He lost a hundred points for Gryffindor and didn't even care. He doesn't care if we give him loads of detentions. He didn't care when we took away his privileges. I'm hoping that two weeks at home will teach him a lesson. Whether it's because of all the work he'll have to make up, or whether it's because his mother will make him deaf from screaming at him. The point is the boy needs discipline." Professor McGonagall says.
"I respect your decision, and I have no desire to override it. I just think that Mr. Weasley will think less of you or perhaps less of Severus if only he was to be suspended." Professor Dumbledore says.
"I do not have the right to punish Mr. Malfoy, Severus may do as he pleases, besides Mr. Weasley and the rest of the Gryffindors think very low of him as it is. Also Mr. Malfoy knows better than to talk back to a professor. Mr. Weasley supposedly yelled at Severus and was asked to leave his lesson. Mr. Malfoy didn't do this." Professor McGonagall says.
"I realize that, but I'm not sure Mr. Weasley does, and you might want to let him know you can't suspend Mr. Malfoy, as he's not in your house." Professor Dumbledore says.
Meanwhile, Ron had packed everything but his journal, which he was writing in. When he had finished it was eleven o'clock. He started dragging his trunk out of the dorm, but it was a bit heavy and it didn't help that his leg was still injured. Dean and Seamus who were getting their books for Charms.
"Ron? Why weren't you in Transfiguration?" Dean asks.
"Do you want help with that?" Seamus asks.
"Please." Ron says.
Seamus helped him carry the trunk down the stairs.
"Why do you need this down here anyway?" Dean asks.
"I've been suspended." Ron says.
"What for?" Dean asks.
"Malfoy pushed me into the Great Lake, and he dove in after me, because I had drifted, because of some damn Grindylows, and when we got out we were in the Forbidden Forest. Professor McGonagall says I've broken too many rules." Ron says.
"Does that mean Malfoy's been suspended too?" Seamus asks hopefully.
"Was he in Transfiguration?" Ron asks.
"Yes." Dean asks.
"Then no, he hasn't been suspended." Ron says. "Thanks for helping me. Aren't you two a bit late for Charms?" Ron adds.
"A bit… yes, I guess so, but this is more important. What happened?" Dean asks.
"A Chimaera bit me. Unfortunately it didn't get to Malfoy. We both came back alive, but only I've been suspended." Ron says rolling his eyes.
"For how long?" Seamus asks.
"Two weeks, I'll probably have to repeat fifth year." Ron says.
"When you get back you can copy our notes and homework." Dean offers.
"Thanks guys. Well I'd better go." Ron says.
"Yea so had we. See you in two weeks. I can't say it will be as fun here without you." Dean says.
"What do you mean? At least you'll know for two weeks the house cup is safe with our name on it, since I won't be here taking points off it." Ron says.
"True, but it was worth the hundred points for somebody to talk back to Snape." Seamus says.
"Yes, and I suppose it will be worth the suspension, as everything I've done wrong is being tied into this." Ron says.
"Good luck." Seamus says.
"Take care." Dean says.
Ron heaved his trunk to the Great Hall and was waiting for McGonagall at quarter to twelve. Professor McGonagall transfigured Ron's trunk into a button, which he pocketed. They walked to the gates of Hogsmeade.
"Your parents said to take Floo powder home. They won't be there but your grandfather will." Professor McGonagall says. "If I had the power, I'd suspend Mr. Malfoy, but he's not my student."
"I understand, and I know that all of my wrong actions are tied into this suspension, and it's actually less than what I deserve, and I thank you for not expelling me." Ron says cracking his knuckles at his sides.
"Your welcome." Professor McGonagall says.
Meanwhile, at lunch Harry and Hermione looked around curiously. "Fred, George, where's Ron? I haven't seen him since before we left yesterday." Harry says.
"Got me." Fred says.
George shrugs.
"McGonagall's suspended him." Seamus says.
"What?" Five voices at once said. They seemed to belong to Fred, George, Ginny, Hermione, and Harry.
"We ran into him when we were getting our books for Charms, he was on his way to Hogsmeade to go home. He's been suspended for two weeks, because he's been in another fight with Malfoy, and they ended up in the Forbidden Forest." Dean explains.
"That's horrible. Why isn't Malfoy suspended?" Hermione asks.
"Snape's not about to send his favorite student home." Seamus says.
Hermione's heart wrenched inside of her. All this time, she thought she just missed Viktor, but when Viktor returned, she knew it wasn't him. He had left yesterday, and Hermione had broken up with him. Now she realized, it was Ron wrenching her heart. It was hard enough not talking to him, she had been able to distract herself with books, but not seeing him at all for two weeks… well that was a different story. She knew he was probably going to live with his horrible Grandfather. She prayed he wouldn't kill him, so she would be able to tell him what she felt.