The next day, Ron sat in the Gryffindor common room alone. Should I tell
Hermione how I feel? He thought. He wasn't sure if he really wanted to.
Would she be angry with him for thinking she liked Harry? Ron decided not
to take the chance. While he sat there, his eyes suddenly lit up. There's a
Quidditch game today! It was Gryffindor versus Slytherin, so Harry would be
playing. Yes! He thought. I get to be alone with Hermione! Over the years
Harry had remained Gryffindor's Seeker, though the rest of the team had
changed since he was now the oldest one on the team. Unfortunately, Malfoy
was still the Slytherin Seeker and, as always, Slytherin still cheated. Ron
looked at the clock and realized that he was going to be late for the game.
He quickly rushed out the door and headed to the Quidditch field.
When he got there the game had already begun. He searched around and finally found Hermione. "Oh there you are Ron!" she greeted him, "I thought you had forgot about the game. I'm so glad your here!" She gave him a peck on the cheek. Ron smiled and turned his attention to the game. Gryffindor was leading by five points. After a few minutes the tables soon turned however and Slytherin was leading by 15. Ron stood close to Hermione and watched the game, cheering Harry on. This game was one of the longest Hogwarts had ever had! It went on for nearly 11 hours until Malfoy caught the Snitch. The whole school (except for Slytherin of course) began booing. They knew that Slytherin had cheated somehow. They always did.
After the game, before he got the chance to see Harry, Ron ran into Malfoy. After exchanging some harsh words, Malfoy grabbed Ron's wand and flew away with it. "Give it back Malfoy!" Ron yelled. Malfoy laughed. "You want it back, Weasley? Well you'll have to go and find it!" Malfoy threw the wand as far as he could and it landed somewhere near the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Ron sighed and began walking toward where his wand had landed.
It took him a while, but he eventually found his wand right behind a tree that was right on the border of the Forbidden Forest. After picking it up, Ron heard a voice behind him. It was very soft and somewhat snake-like. "Hello Mr. Weasley," It whispered. "I've been wanting to talk to you for quite some time." Ron shivered and turned around. All he saw was darkness. "W-w-who are you?" Ron stuttered. The voice replied, "I am someone who can give you what you've always wanted." Ron was puzzled. "And what is that?" He called into the forest. "Attention Mr. Weasley. I can make it so that Potter will never be in the spotlight again. Everyone will know your name, Ron. You will be famous." Ron was going to say something, but he stopped and thought about how much he really wanted to be noticed, to not be a sidekick. "And would I need to do?" Ron asked. "Why, all you'd need to do is let me teach you," the cool, whispering voice replied. "Let me teach you how to be a great wizard. Greater and more famous than Potter will ever be." Though it seemed wrong, the offer began sounding more and more appealing. "All you need to do is meet me here every night. Come alone and I will teach you wonderful things." Ron just stood there. "Alright," he said. "I'll meet you here tomorrow night. I only have one question. Who are you?" A face emerged from the darkness. Ron knew that face. The narrow red eyes, the slits for nostrils, the lipless mouth.... Ron was looking at the face of Voldemort.
When he got there the game had already begun. He searched around and finally found Hermione. "Oh there you are Ron!" she greeted him, "I thought you had forgot about the game. I'm so glad your here!" She gave him a peck on the cheek. Ron smiled and turned his attention to the game. Gryffindor was leading by five points. After a few minutes the tables soon turned however and Slytherin was leading by 15. Ron stood close to Hermione and watched the game, cheering Harry on. This game was one of the longest Hogwarts had ever had! It went on for nearly 11 hours until Malfoy caught the Snitch. The whole school (except for Slytherin of course) began booing. They knew that Slytherin had cheated somehow. They always did.
After the game, before he got the chance to see Harry, Ron ran into Malfoy. After exchanging some harsh words, Malfoy grabbed Ron's wand and flew away with it. "Give it back Malfoy!" Ron yelled. Malfoy laughed. "You want it back, Weasley? Well you'll have to go and find it!" Malfoy threw the wand as far as he could and it landed somewhere near the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Ron sighed and began walking toward where his wand had landed.
It took him a while, but he eventually found his wand right behind a tree that was right on the border of the Forbidden Forest. After picking it up, Ron heard a voice behind him. It was very soft and somewhat snake-like. "Hello Mr. Weasley," It whispered. "I've been wanting to talk to you for quite some time." Ron shivered and turned around. All he saw was darkness. "W-w-who are you?" Ron stuttered. The voice replied, "I am someone who can give you what you've always wanted." Ron was puzzled. "And what is that?" He called into the forest. "Attention Mr. Weasley. I can make it so that Potter will never be in the spotlight again. Everyone will know your name, Ron. You will be famous." Ron was going to say something, but he stopped and thought about how much he really wanted to be noticed, to not be a sidekick. "And would I need to do?" Ron asked. "Why, all you'd need to do is let me teach you," the cool, whispering voice replied. "Let me teach you how to be a great wizard. Greater and more famous than Potter will ever be." Though it seemed wrong, the offer began sounding more and more appealing. "All you need to do is meet me here every night. Come alone and I will teach you wonderful things." Ron just stood there. "Alright," he said. "I'll meet you here tomorrow night. I only have one question. Who are you?" A face emerged from the darkness. Ron knew that face. The narrow red eyes, the slits for nostrils, the lipless mouth.... Ron was looking at the face of Voldemort.