Harry Potter & the Dark Lord – Chapter 14
Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.
A/N: Sorry I haven't been posting very quickly, but I had tix to two concerts this weekend (well, I won't apologize for that), so I had very little time to write, and now it's work again – you all get the idea. I'll try to be more diligent in the future. To my reviewers, as always, thank you, thank you, and thank you! Next time you're in town, I'll buy you a drink (non-alcoholic for the under 21 crowd J). Not that I'm bribing you or anything… So Ron is acting strangely (or not, if you've already figured out where I'm going with this). To find out what's up, read on! REVIEW PLEASE!!
Harry walked into his dormitory, which was rather empty considering it was mid-morning on a weekend. Seamus and Dean were flirting with Lavender and Parvati in the Great Hall, and Neville, as was usual these days, had headed to the greenhouses with Hannah. Ron's bed, however, had the curtains drawn, and Harry thought he heard muttering coming from behind them.
"Ron?" Harry called. The muttering stopped. "Ron, I know you're here." Harry said, exasperated.
The hangings opened, and Ron's red head stuck out. Soon, the rest of his body followed and he stood in front of Harry, his arms crossed. "What do you want?" he sneered.
Harry was taken aback, "Hey, I didn't do anything! I just came to see what was wrong. You are acting rather strangely."
Ron's sneer didn't disappear. "There's nothing wrong! I can't just stay in my room for once?"
"I meant what just happened downstairs. Why are you so upset about Cho? And why don't you want us to go to the lake?" Harry tried to speak calmly; he knew how worked up Ron could get and he didn't want to spark any anger.
Ron scowled, "Blimey, can't a guy just look out for his best friend?? You've been mooning over Cho for what – two years? And then you ask why I'm concerned when you break up."
Harry didn't quite believe that concern over his feelings would cause Ron to be so upset. "Ron, I told you, I'm over Cho. It was just a silly crush."
"Yeah," Ron said, "A silly crush. Just like Ginny has on you. It's nothing more than that!" Ron's ears were going red.
Harry hesitated. "What does this have to do with Ginny?" he asked slowly.
Ron threw his arms up, "Do you think I'm a complete idiot? I've seen you looking at my sister! Just another girl in the great Harry Potter's collection! Well, I'm not going to let you do that to her!"
Harry felt the air rush out of him. He had been completely convinced that Ron didn't know how he felt about Ginny. He had hoped Ron would understand, since he hadn't seemed to mind that much about Neville – at least about Neville seeing Ginny. Neville breaking up with her was another matter.
"Ron, I…" But Harry didn't get a chance to finish.
"Look, you can get any girl you want in the school. Even Fleur, I'd bet! It's not fair playing with Ginny's feelings like that. You know she's had a crush on you since we met. She may be a loudmouth and annoying, but she's still my little sister!" Ron's face was starting to match the color of his ears, and there was almost a pleading tone to his voice.
All right, Harry thought, maybe Ron didn't know how he felt about Ginny. If he could just tell him the truth, then Ron would calm down. Otherwise…. remembering Neville's broken nose, Harry rushed to explain.
"Ron, you don't understand. I'm not playing with Ginny's feelings. I, I actually like her. A lot." There, he had said it. Harry was surprised at how relieved he was to have that out in the open, even if it wasn't to Ginny. Now he was sure Ron would relax and come over and shake his hand, giving him his blessing.
This wonderful little picture of familial bliss shattered as Harry saw Ron's red face quickly go ashen. Maybe he hadn't been clear enough.
"Ron, did you hear what I said? Ginny's not like the other girls. She's…she's my friend, and she's smart, pretty…" Harry paused as he noticed a strange look in Ron's eyes. Was it fear? Harry couldn't be sure.
"Fine," Ron said coldly, "Go ahead and date her. Spend all your time with her. But don't expect me to be your friend if you do." With that, Ron stormed out of the dormitory, leaving Harry standing flabbergasted, staring at the empty space where Ron had just been.
Harry returned to the common room that afternoon. He had spent a couple of hours searching unsuccessfully for Ron, and came back hungry and exhausted. Harry collapsed into the large chair by the fire and closed his eyes briefly. He had barely had a chance to catch his breath when he felt something fluttering on his face. Harry opened his eyes to a blur of feathers, pushing an unfamiliar owl away from him. It took a minute to brush all the stray feathers out of his hair and to wipe the dander off his glasses. He finally was able to grab the letter the owl had dropped, surprised at receiving it at such an odd time. His spirits lifted slightly as he recognized his godfather's handwriting.
Harry,
I know you're probably not expecting to hear from me so soon. Don't worry, everything is fine, but Remus and I got to talking after you left. We know you're going to try to sneak to Hogsmeade to investigate Arthur Weasley's disappearance. Not that we don't trust you and Ron, but we remember what we were like at your age. So instead of trying to stop you, we figured the best thing to do is to watch out for you ourselves. I know it's short notice, but let us know if you can meet us behind Honeydukes at 4 o'clock. I trust you'll make sure you're not seen, as I'm sure you know leaving Hogwarts without permission will not be looked upon kindly, especially these last few months.
Let us know as soon as you can, and be careful.
Sirius
Harry couldn't sit still from the excitement. He quickly wrote a reply stating that he would be there and sent it off with the owl. Looking around the common room for his friends, anxious to share this news, he bolted out of his seat when he saw Fred and George Weasley come in through the portrait hole. They looked rather downcast, not having engaged in their usual mischief since their father's disappearance. Harry couldn't remember when Gryffindor Tower had been so quiet. He hadn't heard any explosions, or seen any first years screaming with their heads on fire, and no one had turned into canaries or salamanders, or, the twins latest trick, into house elves, which had caused no little distress to Hermione as she watched her classmates become docile and obedient, happily offering to serve Fred and George and to do their homework for them. No, Fred and George had kept largely to themselves, spending time only with Angelina and Alicia, and of course, Ron and Ginny. The only time they seemed like their former selves was when they were playing Quidditch.
"Fred, George, over here!" Harry called. The twins walked over to Harry, carrying a pile of books. They must be really hurting to do homework on a Sunday, Harry thought.
"Harry! How've you been?" Fred asked, rewarding Harry with a grin.
"Heard back from Sirius yet?" George whispered earnestly.
Harry told them about his and Ginny's visit to the Shrieking Shack, and about the letter he had just received. George read it over eagerly as Fred scolded Harry for not letting them know about seeing Sirius and Remus. He got over his anger quickly, though, as they plotted the best way to sneak out of Hogwarts that day. The three were still hunched together conspiratorially when Hermione arrived.
"Hi Harry! I couldn't find you anywhere, so Ron and I went to the lake ourselves," she said with a smile. "It was rather nice, although a bit crowded…a lot of people seemed to have had the same idea. What's that you're looking over?"
Hermione walked over and grabbed the letter from George's hands. Her smile disappeared as she read, finally turning into a scowl. Ron, who had been hanging behind Hermione, edged a little closer, apparently very curious.
"Harry, you're not actually going to go!! I mean the Shrieking Shack was one thing, but Honeydukes!! That's out in the open – it could be dangerous!" Harry had expected this reaction from Hermione, but he wasn't going to be dissuaded.
"Er, can I come along?" Ron asked carefully, blots of red on his cheeks. Harry looked at him curiously – was this an apology?
"Of course," he grinned. "Fred and George are coming too. Maybe you should stay behind Hermione, and cover for us if anyone asks."
Harry could see Hermione's internal struggle – on the one hand, if she stayed behind she wouldn't be breaking any rules, but on the other hand she hated missing something so important.
"Well, is Ginny going?" Fred asked. "If not, you could stay with her."
Harry's eyes shot over to Ron, who was staring intently at him, his jaw tense.
"Er, no, it'll just be the four of us," Harry answered. He wasn't quite ready to test Ron's friendship. He couldn't bear to have Ron not speaking to him again, not now with Voldemort back. They could always settle the Ginny issue later.
Ron visibly relaxed. "Great," Ron said with a slight smile, "so let's get ready."
Later that day, Harry got his Invisibility Cloak, stuffing it in his pocket just in case – he knew it wouldn't cover all four of them – and headed to the third floor with Ron, George and Fred. As they reached the corridor with the statue of the one-eyed witch, Harry pulled the Marauder's Map from his pocket. Fred and George's faces broke into broad grins at the sight of it.
"Oh, our good friend…how we've missed you," Fred said, kissing the old parchment tenderly.
"May I do the honors?" George asked. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good!" he muttered joyously, touching his wand to the parchment. Lines of ink spread rapidly, revealing a perfect map of Hogwarts. Harry noticed with interest that both Professors Snape and Fletcher were in the dungeon. His eyes shot to the Gryffindor common room, where Hermione had apparently found Ginny. Harry felt a twang of guilt leaving her behind, but he pushed the thought out of his mind; he needed to focus on finding anything about Mr. Weasley's disappearance.
The coast was clear, so Fred opened the witch's hump, and they all climbed inside, sliding down the stone shoot. Once at the bottom, George wiped the Marauder's Map blank and they headed off to Hogsmeade. After walking for what seemed like a very long while in silence, they finally reached the trap door in Honeydukes' backroom. Fred and George decided to sneak out first on their own, as they had plenty of practice at it, letting Ron and Harry follow them under the Invisibility Cloak. They were soon out in the bright late afternoon sunshine behind Honeydukes.
The four hadn't waited long when a large black dog bounded towards them. It turned, beckoning for them to follow, and Harry and the others climbed to the cave that Sirius had hid in last year. Once safely inside, Harry noticed Remus sitting in a dark corner. Fred and George were staring in awe at Sirius, who had just changed back to his human form.
"Fred, George, staying out of trouble, I trust," Remus said to the twins, a wide grin on his face.
Fred smiled back at him, "Professor Lupin! I wish you would've told us about your being a werewolf in class! That is just the coolest thing!"
Sirius interrupted the love fest for his friend. "Did you have any trouble getting here? We hated to encourage this, but we figured you'd do it anyway."
"No trouble at all, Mr. Black, er, Sirius, sir," George stammered.
"We had a bit of help," Fred had the old mischievous glint back in his eyes. Harry noticed that Sirius had the same glint.
"You don't mean the Marauder's Map?" Sirius asked, excitement building in his voice. "Can I see it?"
George looked slightly taken aback, but pulled the parchment out of his pocket, where he had been clutching it in his hand. Sirius rushed forward, taking the parchment gently and examining it as his eyes became glassy. "Boy, this brings back memories, doesn't it Moony?"
"Moony?" Fred's eyes grew wide, and he glanced over at George, who was staring incredulously at the two older men. Of course, Harry thought, he'd never thought to mention to them who Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs actually were.
Harry stepped forward, "Er, maybe I should introduce you again. Fred, George, meet Padfoot and Moony. Prongs was my dad, and Wormtail – well, that doesn't matter."
Fred and George had both fallen to their knees. Fred bent low, his face nearly at Sirius' dusty boots. "We prostrate ourselves to you, our great and brilliant teachers."
George followed Fred's lead. "We are but your humble and undeserving servants. We can only hope our actions have been worthy of this great instrument you have so very graciously left behind to carry on your great work."
Harry and Ron struggled to hold in their laughter, clutching their sides. Remus, looking very embarrassed but strangely pleased, tried to get the twins back on their feet. Sirius, on the other hand, was obviously quite comfortable with the praise and did nothing to discourage it.
"Well now, brilliant may be a bit much…or then again maybe not. The creation of the Marauder's Map was one of my proudest moments…"
"You act as if it was all your idea," Remus added crossly. "You may have gotten most of the girls, but you certainly weren't the brains behind our little outfit."
"So Sirius was good with the ladies," Fred commented. "It seems we have a lot in common," he added, without the slightest trace of embarrassment.
George leaned in as if to whisper to Remus, but his voice carried quite well in the small cave, "He thinks the girls like him, but honestly, other than Angelina, most of them are usually only hanging around to be near me. They are rather attracted by my brains. Fred can be quite a git sometimes. Although, I must say, he does provide a bit of comic relief."
George had such a serious look on his face as he said this that Harry snorted. Fred gave George a light slap upside the head, and soon the two were rolling on the floor wrestling. Ron and Harry pressed themselves against the wall of the cave to avoid being hit by flailing limbs. Harry wrinkled his nose and squinted his eyes as the twins set up a thick cloud of dust.
Remus, recovering from a coughing fit, managed to speak. "Aren't any of you interested in what Sirius and I found behind the Three Broomsticks?"
The words caught everyone's attention, and Harry stopped in the middle of wiping the dust off of his glasses. No one moved for a moment. Fred looked up – or down, as he was practically standing on his head – from underneath George's grip, waiting expectantly.
"Well?" Ron asked. "Spit it out, will you?"
Remus didn't say a word, instead holding out his hand. Lying in his palm was a brightly colored bug, purple with red dots that seemed to glow. The creature was quite obviously dead.
"A dead bug?" Harry exclaimed. "What help is that?"
Sirius stepped forward, looking positively gleeful. "It's not just any bug. It's a blinking beetle!"
"Er, a blinking beetle?" Fred asked.
Sirius sighed impatiently, "Don't you know these are only found in one place on the entire planet?? And do you know where that is?"
Everyone other than Remus was looking at Sirius with blank expressions on their faces.
"The Forbidden Forest!! Honestly, you'd think they'd teach you more about your own backyards in that school. Not like when I was a student."
George seemed annoyed. "So what? That doesn't mean anything! How do we know it didn't just fly out on its own?"
Remus interrupted, "No George, that beetle is found only in the deepest, darkest part of the Forbidden Forest. I've seen them when I roamed the forest as a wolf. Sunlight kills them – even moonlight is dangerous to them — they would never leave the forest on their own. This beetle would have died long before it even reached the edge of the forest. The only explanation is that it was resting on someone's robes when he apparated out of the forest. And I would bet that someone was Voldemort."
"So Dad could have been right under our noses all this time?" Ron asked shakily. "In the Forbidden Forest…"
Harry knew how Ron felt about the forest. The last time he was in there, giant spiders had nearly made a meal of them. But if Mr. Weasley was there…
Sirius seemed to be reading Harry's mind. "You are not to go into the Forbidden Forest on your own! The full moon is in a few days…. Remus will go and look around then. It's safer for a wolf than a human."
The look in Remus' and Sirius' eyes told them all the conversation was over.
Ron and Harry were in the common room that night playing wizard chess, enjoying an unspoken truce between them for the time being. Harry was feeling listless, emotionally drained from the day's events. He was losing worse than usual – to the displeasure of his pieces – since he couldn't keep his mind on the game. Just as Ron was about to win the match yet again, Hermione walked over and put her books on the table, inadvertently knocking over the board.
"Ouch!" she yelled. Ron's ill-tempered king had bitten her finger and was hanging from her hand by his teeth. Hermione shook the piece off, disgustedly throwing it into Ron's bag. She turned to Harry and Ron and smiled. "So you've made up!"
Ron shifted uncomfortably in his seat as Hermione continued, "I'm so proud of you Ron! I'm glad everything is out in the open so we can get on with it. Where's Ginny?"
Ron was definitely squirming now, and avoiding Harry's eyes.
'What's out in the open? Did you tell her…" Harry began, panicked.
Hermione frowned, "Ron, you did speak with Harry like we discussed, didn't you?"
"I, er… I haven't had…"
"Ron!! You promised!! You're going to apologize right now!" Hermione ordered.
Ron slunk down in his chair. Harry leaned forward, eager now that it seemed he hadn't done anything wrong.
Ron hesitated. "Ron…" Hermione warned.
"Er, Harry, I'm – I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have yelled and said, well, you know, what I said." Ron was staring at his hands.
"All right," Harry answered, confused. Did this mean Ron was okay with his liking Ginny?
Hermione wasn't satisfied. She nudged Ron, forcing him to look up.
"I guess I've known you liked Ginny for a while now. I just didn't want to admit it." Ron's face was turning red.
Harry was dumbfounded. If Ron had known all along…did he really think he was that much worse than Neville? "Why?" Harry asked, still puzzled.
Ron resumed looking at his hands. "I – I guess I didn't want to lose my best friend. I mean, I don't think I could handle it if you came to Burrow and spent all your time with her instead of me."
Whatever Harry was expecting, it wasn't that. Ron had to know he would always be his best friend. He couldn't believe he had been worried about that. "Ron, I'll always want to spend time with you. I mean, we still see each other just as much even though you and Hermione are together."
Hermione opened her mouth to protest, color rushing up her face, but Ron spoke before she had a chance to get a word out.
"But you haven't had to share everything with Hermione your whole life! I've never had anything important that was just mine. Now I have to share my best friend too!"
Harry didn't know how to respond to this. He had never thought about it from that point of view. Growing up with all those brothers and a sister – it had never occurred to him that Ron would be jealous of Ginny spending time with him.
"Ron," Harry tried, "You and Hermione are my best friends. That's not going to change no matter what. It doesn't matter if I'm going out with your sister or a perfect stranger. They won't replace you."
"I know you're right," Ron sighed. He continued to stare at his hands for a minute longer, and then, lifting his head slightly, gave Harry a weak smile. "I guess I'll just have to get used to sharing you with your girlfriends anyway. After all, the famous Harry Potter is not going to stay single for long."
Harry threw a cushion at Ron and they both started laughing. As the laughter died down, Harry glanced at Ron sideways.
"So," he began slowly, "you think Ginny just has a stupid crush on me?"
Harry waited anxiously as Ron thought for a moment. "If I really did think that, I don't think it would've bothered me so much."
Ron smirked at Harry, causing him to break into a wide grin. A second later, they were smothered by Hermione, who grabbed both of them into a big bear hug.
"Hermione, I can't breathe," Ron choked out. Hermione loosened her grip a little, but didn't let go of the two.
"Oh, why do you two always have to fight?" she sniffled, wiping her eyes as she finally released them.
"Hermione, are you okay? Why are you crying? What's going on?"
They all turned at the new voice. Ginny had just come down from her dormitory and was looking worriedly at Hermione. Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at each other, no one saying a word.
A/N: Well, I didn't get to the detention (next time, I promise), but I stopped here because I'm torn. Should I have Harry tell Ginny the truth now, or does he want to give Ron some time to get used to the idea? Or maybe they should wait until Mr. Weasley is back. After all, Ron and Ginny have enough to worry about without having to deal with relationships. Oh, the dilemma!! Well, feel free to voice your opinions (Review of course). Thanks!!