Harry and Draco whirled around the corner, nearing Professor Hiddle's office. As they neared the Defense of the Dark Arts teacher's classroom, they became more precocious. When no one was near in sight, Harry and Draco both fled to the office. Draco stood watch, while the raven-haired boy searched for the book.
"I found it," he stated, smiling for the first time that day.
Harry handed it to Draco, and he stuffed it underneath his robes. Just as they were about to escape, the shrill voice of Professor Hiddle stopped them.
"What are two young gentlemen such as yourselves doing in my office?"
Harry swallowed the knot piling in his throat. "Well, um, we, uh-" he stammered.
Draco rolled his eyes. "We were on our way to classes when we saw an enormously large cockroach travel into you office, and we decided to kill it." Nearly everyone knew of Professor Hiddle's phobia for cockroaches, and by the look on her face, it seemed that she bought it.
"Ahem, yes, well, thank you, boys," she stuttered, face whitening at that moment. "But the next time, please leave that filthy of a job to Mr. Filch."
Both Slytherins nodded, and scurried away.
The two seventh years busted into the girl's lavatory by the Defense of the Dark Arts class. Moaning Mirdle was twirling on a toilet seat, singing a song about daisies and mud or some such.
When she saw them, she scowled. "What do you disgraces want?"
"Nothing, Mirdle. We're trying to make a spell."
"Well," she huffed, "I'm not going to allow it."
Draco smirked. "Well then, guess we'll just have to go somewhere else."
Mirdle's eyes all of a sudden got very large and watery. "No, don't go!" She wiped a silver tear from her transparent eyes. "I have no one to talk to!"
Harry and Draco both laughed. They resumed setting up, and before long, the potion was ready.
"All right, Harry. Are you sure you want to do this? What if you don't come back?" The normally brave Slytherin looked petrified.
Harry nodded. "I'm going to bring her back."
Malfoy gave a weak smile, and started to recite the lines. Harry soon joined in. Moments later, gray and blue smoke billowed around them. Moaning Mirdle hacked and coughed in the background. The spell was nearly complete when Harry just disappeared.
Draco dropped his words off the cliff. "Harry?" The smoke was gone, and everything seemed back to normal.
Harry got up. This trip wasn't as violent as the last one. He finally realized he was in the Great Hall again, and Draco was looking at him.
"When did you stroll in, mate?" asked the blonde.
"I, um, just now, obviously." Good one, he thought.
Draco laughed a little. "Uh huh," he said.
All of a sudden, two fingers glided down Harry's spine. He quickly turned around only to be looking at Hermione. "Hermione!" Harry cried. He quickly hugged her. "I'm so glad to see you! I've missed you so much!"
Hermione giggled. "Well, okay, but I just saw you last night."
"Yea, I know, but… oh, never mind. I'm just glad to see you."
"Hey, guys, check out Weasley. What in the blazes does he think he's doing?" Draco had obviously noticed Ron sauntering across the Great Hall.
Harry all of a sudden felt very cold. A shock of ice shot up through his spine, and it wasn't from Hermione. Ron looked exactly the same from the first change. He had black hair hanging to his shoulders, huge gages, and stone cold eyes. But this time, he looked angry. There was so much anger, and he had his wand clutched tightly in his fist.
Harry stood up immediately, about knocking over the whole Slytherin table.
"Watch it, Harry!" Draco shouted, trying to settle his class of pumpkin juice.
"What's the fuss, love? It's only a Weasley," Hermione snapped.
Harry stopped dead in his tracks. He swiveled around and marched right up to Hermione's face. He grabbed her by her collar and said, "Don't you ever call Ron just a Weasley." He let go, and persisted on his way to Ron. Hermione's eyes looked like at any second they were to pop from their sockets.
Harry about reached Ron when Ron pivoted, facing the school. "What do you want, Potter?" he sneered. When Harry said nothing, Ron started speaking again. "You need a front row seat? Or are you here just to mock me?"
"Ron, I-" Harry sputtered.
"Oh, shut up, you arse. Don't think that you're going to make me cry. I know you all may think I'm a baby, a coward, a wimp, but I'm stronger than all of you combined. Ever since I started school here, I've been hated. No matter how hard I try to satisfy you all, I still end up at the bottom of the line."
Harry realized that the Weasley was talking to the whole school now. "So you know what? I'm going to end it. I'm going to end my misery, and I'm going to end your fun. Sorry, mates, to be so selfish." He cackled. "But I'd rather kill myself than be here with this disgusting lot. Oh, that's what I'm going to do, isn't it? But I'm not going to think of it as killing myself. I'm going to think of it as being born. I'm going to be with people who actually love me, instead of wasting my life here. And you."
Harry looked at Ron straight in the eyes. They were so cold and heartless. "Yea, you. I hate you most, Potter. And you know what? I wish I could kill you with me. But I'm not like that. You have a life to live, and you're going to be something huge, I know it. But I still hope you rot in Hell. I hope you and your little bitch rot in Hell."
Harry glanced over at Hermione and Draco. Both of them were snickering. He wanted to kill them. When he looked back at Ron, Ron shoved Harry to the floor with all of his strength. Harry never knew Ron had that much power.
Before Harry could get up, Ron whipped his wand out. Instantly, he said, "Ango Suffoco!" His face turned a sickening shade of blue and purple before he collapsed to the marble flooring.
A few gasps were heard from Hogwarts students, but after awhile, everyone continued eating. Harry felt his face go hot. Tears started pouring from his eyes as he got up and ran to the staff table.
"Why didn't you help him? During that whole speech he gave, none of you decided to help him? He needed help! Ron needed to see Madame Pomfry!" Harry slammed his fist onto the table, and lowered his head.
Snape spoke first. His voice seemed amazingly calm and almost sincere. "Mr. Potter, Ronald wanted to die. He came to us during a staff meeting and declared what his plan was. We tried to convince him that he was loved, but he didn't listen. He told us to not stop him today. He wanted to be with his family. You know they were murdered, Mr. Potter."
Harry's eyes widened as the news sunk in. Why had people been so mean to him? he thought. Harry growled and trudged away.
He breezed right past Malfoy and Granger. Hermione tugged on Harry's robe. "Is everything all right? What was that all about?" she asked sweetly. She was afraid to insult the boy, knowing Harry for whatever reason cared about him.
"Nothing," Harry muttered. "I have to go take care of something." At that, he took off running. Neither of his "friends" tried following. They just shrugged it off and kept on eating.
Harry arrived back at the Defense of the Dark Arts classroom. He started rummaging through shelves and drawers, trying to find the potion book. He finally found it and left the office quickly. If it was the last thing he did, he was going to set things right.
