What is Friendship, Anyway?

Hermione barely answers any of Harry's questions.  She just keeps repeating:  "You should have listened to your lectures in A Wizarding History."

Harry shakes his head and hurries to find Ron, who's practically arguing with Pigwidgeon.  He is trying to get the little owl down from the rafters high in the ceiling of Gryffindor Tower.  "Come on!  I need you to send this to my mum!" he's holding a letter in one hand and a broom in the other.  He's trying to use the broom to get Pigwidgeon down.

"Ronald Weasley!"  Ginny shouts suddenly.  She has just walked into the common room.  "Don't you dare hit Pig with that broom!"

Ron glares at Ginny.  "Then you get him down.  If mum doesn't get this letter, I'm going to fail Divination this year!"

Harry looks puzzled.  Then he remembers that Professor Trelawney had assigned them the task of getting their own tea leaves for this year's Divination course.  He doesn't see what the big deal is until he remembers that he and Ron have been doing nothing but making up their own predictions since the class started.  But it's harder to make things up when the professor can "see" your results.  "Why do you need your mum's help?"

"So she can send me nice tea leaves.  I can't wait till the next Hogsmeade trip and even if I could, I'd have no idea what to get!"  Ron exclaims.  He takes the broom and starts to poke at Pigwidgeon again.

Ginny yanks the broom away from Ron and hits him with the bristles.  "You knew what you needed before the school year!  You got the list same as everyone else when we got our Hogwarts letters!"

"Actually, Professor Trelawney wanted us to look into the future and know what to get ahead of time.  She's rather miffed that we didn't know and we'd done so well in her class last year," Harry says.

Hermione has a smug expression on her face.  "First, that will teach you not to cheat in class.  Second, she probably just made her list up right before the school year started."

Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, fellow fifth years and Divination students, look up from their books.  "We knew what she wanted and got all our things last month.  Saw it through my crystal ball," Lavender replies.

"I saw it through my own tea leaves," Parvati says proudly.  "But, just a suggestion, don't get chamomile leaves.  The stuff stinks and doesn't read well at all."

Ginny has just finished coaxing Pigwidgeon down and it smoothing his ruffled feathers.  If Harry didn't know any better, he'd swear that Pig is giving Ron a very sarcastic look.  Ron scowls and ties the note to the little owl's leg.  "Send this to mum and come right back here with a response… and maybe some tea leaves."

Pigwidgeon flies out one of the high windows.  Ginny is about to sit down when Angelina, Katie Bell, and Alicia Spinnet descend the stairs from the girls' dormitory.  "All right, team, let's go.  We've only got a few more hours before sunset and we need to get cracking!"

Harry sighs.  "But it's only the first day back!  Can't we just have a friendly game before we do any real practicing?"  he looks over at Ron, who seems very eager.  When the Gryffindors just play, they allow other housemates in on the game.  This is Ron's only chance to play the game.

"Not today, Harry," Alicia says.  "We still need to help you master the Wronski Defensive Feint," she tousles Harry's already unruly black hair.  "Ron, can you go get your brothers?"

Ron looks very hurt as Harry and Ginny follow the three Chasers out of the common room.  He kicks over the game of Wizard's Chess he'd set up for when he and Harry could get some free time and stands at the bottom of the boys' stairs.  "George, Fred!  You've got practice!"

The twins run down the stairs, patting Ron on the shoulder as they run down.  "Is it a friendly game, Ron?" George asks.

"No," Ron says glumly.  "Real practice."

Fred shakes his head.  "Angelina is showing real signs of becoming another Oliver Wood.  God, I love that woman!" they rush out of the common room.

Ron and Hermione look at each other for a minute.  Ron's expression of disappointment is pitiful and he starts to head up to the boys' dorms.  "Wait a second, Ron," Hermione begins.  The red head just walks away.

Practice is relatively uneventful.  Harry gets the Wronski Defensive Feint down perfectly, sending Ginny, Fred, and George to the ground time after time.  At about eight o' clock, they all head back inside.

Harry sees Hermione still studying in the common room.  No one else is around.  He hurries up the dormitory stairs to change.  He doesn't see Ron anywhere.  After going back downstairs, Hermione closes her books.  "Harry, I think we should talk."

"Later, Hermione.  I've got to find Ron," Harry is about to head out the door.

"That's what we should talk about, Harry," Hermione replies.  She pats the cushion next to her.  "Sit down with me for a moment."

Harry sits down, preparing himself for another one of Hermione's lectures.  She pats him on the shoulder.  "How much time did you get to spend with Ron over the holiday?"

"None!  You remember what Dumbledore said.  I wasn't to leave the Durselys this summer.  At all.  The Weasley's did all they could to try and get me out for a little while but they couldn't do anything, either," Harry explains.  "Why?"

Hermione nods.  "I think Ron feels a bit… out of place.  You know what I mean?  You, Fred, George, and even Ginny have Quidditch, I have my grades…" she hesitates, trying to find the words to use.  "I think Ron doesn't feel as though he has anything.  You and Ginny have more in common than you and Ron do anymore."

"But he's my best friend!  I thought he'd have gotten over that jealousy rubbish after last year!" Harry shouts.  He shakes his head.  "What do you suggest I do, give up Quidditch?  Are you going to give up on studying all the time?  We can't always accommodate him.  You know that.  He should know that!"

Hermione sighs.  "I know, Harry.  But maybe you could try to spend more time with him.  Something other than cheating in Divination.  Perhaps you could show him some Quidditch moves?  Maybe next year he'll make the team with so many openings available."

"Maybe…" Harry says thoughtfully.  "I'll go talk to him, I suppose.  I certainly don't want any ordeals like last year."

Ron and Harry had spent quite some time not speaking during their fourth year, mostly due to Ron's jealousy of Harry's popularity, money, and good fortune.  Harry hates to think that the same thing could occur again so he hurries to find his friend before it was too late to salvage things.

"Going somewhere, Potter?" Draco's voice hisses practically in Harry's ear.  Harry jumps and looks around.  Draco is standing only a foot away with Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle not far behind him.  The larger boys are laughing dimly, finding amusement in Harry's momentary fright.  "If you're looking for Weasley, you'll have to go to the Hospital Wing.  The dummy fancies himself a Quidditch star and broke his leg crashing down by the Forbidden Forest, trying to catch a runaway Snitch."

The three Slytherins laugh and walk away.  Harry clenches his fists and refrains from attacking Draco with his bare hands.  He rushes from the hallway toward the Hospital Wing.

Ron is moaning as Madame Pomfrey uses her magic to repair the break in his right leg.  Harry skids to a stop directly behind her.  "Is he going to be okay?"

Madame Pomfrey gasps and turns around.  "Harry!  What are you doing here?  Oh, never mind.  As long as you're not damaged this time, I suppose I can let you visit your friend."

"Is he okay?" Harry repeats himself.  Ron won't make eye contact with him.

"He'll be fine.  Just have to warn Madame Hooch to keep a better eye on her broom storage.  Students flying about at all hours.  It's a wonder no one's been killed yet," Madame Pomfrey walks away, shaking her head.

Harry steps up to the bed.  "Ron, what were you thinking?  Flying by yourself with no one knowing where you are is dangerous!"

"You sound like Hermione," Ron grumbles.

"We all do nowadays, I reckon," Harry mutters, remembering Ginny's attitude with him earlier.  "What were you thinking?  Why didn't you wait for me at least?  I would have loved to go flying with you!"

Ron turns onto his side.  His leg is already starting to feel better.  "So you can show off, then?  So that you can be the hero if I fell?  Thanks but no thanks."

"Oh, come on," Harry says admonishingly.  "You know that's not how I am!  I wanted to spend time with you.  We could have had our own Quidditch match like we used to.  We could have just raced around.  We could have done anything you wanted.  But I can't just bail on Angelina when she calls a practice during the designated practice times, even if they're the extra ones."

Ron gets out of the bed and tests his leg.  Good as new.  Madame Pomfrey really knows her cure spells.  "Look, just drop it.  I don't feel like talking about it.  Want to walk me to the tower to make sure I don't hurt myself, then?"

"Stop acting like I'm trying to be your nanny!" Harry explodes.  "I'm getting really tired of this, you know that?  Every time you feel just a little left out or annoyed or bothered or anything at all, you take it out on me!  I'm not trying to outdo you, outclass you, out-anything you!  I just want to be your friend.  But if all I am is some stupid rival to you, then I don't want any part of this friendship.  You can play these stupid little mind games with Malfoy but you can leave me out of this."

Ron's jaw drops but Harry isn't finished.  He pushes his bangs out of his face, revealing the lightning bolt scar in the middle of his forehead.  "You see this?  I never asked for it!  I never wanted to be the "famous Harry Potter" or the "Boy Who Lived" or any of the rubbish they call me in the papers.  I just want to be Harry.  I want to have a nice family, good friends, and a little bit of fun before I have to grow up and face the real world.  But I can't.  I have to be everything everyone expects from me because I'm Harry Potter, the boy who survived Voldemort's killing curse."

Ron flinches at the name but just stares at Harry, wide-eyed and sad.  "The only time I can forget all the craziness of my life is when I'm with you and Hermione.  You're my best friends.  You make me feel just a little bit more normal.  But if you can't handle it, then forget about it.  Forget about me.  Because I'm personally sick of all this.  All of it."

Harry walks away, letting Ron be astounded.  "If you want my life, Ron, I'd gladly exchange it with you.  You may not have much money but you're far richer than I'll ever be."