Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters.

Author's Note: Thanks for reading and reviewing! D

Chapter 3 – O.W.L.s

Ron woke up feeling a lot better, in fact, he felt just like his usual self, but he was sure Mrs. Weasley would still have someone look him over before she was satisfied and truly believed he was okay. All that Ron cared about what that he was okay now and he hoped he didn't feel like he did the day before ever again. He got out of bed and dressed in a pair of pants and his Chudley Cannons sweatshirt that Fred and George bought him after they terrorized Umbridge and set off to their new joke shop. After yawning and stretching, he left his own room to go see if anyone else was awake.

Ron was on his way to the twins' old room where Harry was he stopped at the door before that one, the door to Ginny's room. He slowly turned the knob and pushed it open a tiny bit to see if Ginny and Hermione were still sleeping. The small room which belonged to Ginny now looked even smaller than usual because the half that was not taken up by Ginny's bed was cluttered with Hermione's trunk and her blankets that lay on the floor over top of her. He looked at her for a moment, watching her sleep and then turned to see if Ginny was asleep as well; she was. As quietly as he could, he tried to shut the door, but he stepped on the creaking board and woke up the ghoul that lived in the attic. Unfortunately, Hermione and Ginny were no longer asleep.

Ginny turned to the door, which was opened a bit, "What time is it?" She asked.

"Sorry, Gin, didn't mean to wake you," Ron muttered, "Stupid ghoul…"

"What were you doing anyway?" Hermione looked up.

"Oh, just seeing if anyone was awake yet. I'm sorry, you can go back to sleep now…"

"You can make it up to us by starting breakfast," Ginny said and then added, "You feeling any better?"

"Actually, yeah; I don't know why I was sick last night, but it seems to have gone away. Well, I guess I'll go start breakfast then. I'll call you down in about half an hour."

"Thanks."

So Ron continued down the hallway and came to Fred and George's old room. He really wasn't sure if he should try to open the door this time, but did anyway. To his surprise, Harry was awake. He was sitting on George's old bed, reading an old book that had a blackened cover; apparently Harry must've found it in the room. It looked like it had got in the way of one of Fred and George's experiments.

"Hey Harry," Ron said.

Harry turned around, "'Morning Ron, what's up?"
"Going down to make breakfast. Err, you want to come and help? I'm not very good."

Harry laughed and shrugged his shoulders, "Sure."

They both headed down to the kitchen and Ron set the table while Harry made pancakes and put some bacon in the frying pan. Everything was going smoothly until… smash!

"Oh no! That was one of Mum's favorite saucers!"

"Reparo!" a voice called from the stairs and Ron recognized it as Hermione's.

Ron looked down the saucer was as good as new. "Thanks," was all he said and he finished setting the table with six sets of silverware. "Wait, are Mum and Dad here?"

"I think they stayed at Headquarters," said Ginny, taking a seat at the table, "So you can put those two place settings away."

Ron put the plates and silverware back and then looked on the counter and saw a note scrawled in Mrs. Weasley's tiny handwriting:

Ron & Ginny,

Your father and I are still at Grimmuald Place. Make yourselves some breakfast and hopefully we'll be back before noon; So sorry we didn't get back sooner, but something's come up. Even though your father and I aren't present, I still expect your chores to be done by the time we get back.

Clean the dishes.

Clean your rooms (especially you, Ron)

De-gnome the gardens again (I think we need to find a new method of getting rid of them; they just keep coming back)

While you de-gnome the garden, it would be nice if you try and get rid of the fire grass. I think there's some spray in the shed, but be careful; I got a nasty burn the other day.

We'll be back soon. If you need anything, you know where to find us.

Love,

Mum & Dad

"Well, if we're going to have to get all of this done before noon, we'd better get a start after breakfast." Ron said and handed the note to Ginny. "Harry, you and I can de-gnome the gardens and take care of the fire grass; Ginny and Hermione, you two can do the dishes and clean the rooms I suppose."

"I'll clean my room and Fred and George's old room, you'd better clean your own," Ginny replied.

"I'll give you five knuts if you clean mine," Ron pleaded.

"Oh fine."

Satisfied, Ron flipped the pancakes and then put them out on the plates. Harry came along with the bacon and filled the plates. They both then sat down at the table and ate their breakfast. After only a few minutes, Hermione looked over as she heard a fluttering of wings outside the window by the sink.

She stood up and walked over, taking the parchment rolls off of the owls outstretched wing, "Hello, what've you got?"

Hermione unrolled the parchment and exclaimed, "Ooh! It's our O.W.L. results!"

She fetched the owl a quick drink before it flew off again into the sky and then Hermione went quickly back to the table to hand out Ron and Harry their results as well.

"Wow, Ron, you didn't do so badly," she said, reading their results as she gave them to the two boys, "Harry, you did well."

"Well, how many did you get, Hermione?" Ron asked curiously.

Harry looked up to hear her response.

"Err, well…" she said and then said with her voice as low and muffled as possible, "fmm– teen…"

"Sorry, how many?" Harry asked.

"Thirteen," she whispered in response.

"That's great, Hermione," said Ron, "I'm jealous; I've only got ten."

Harry said, "Same here. Unfortunately I'll be taking potions with Snape, but luckily there'll be no more Divination. I guess I don't have the inner-eye of a Seer."

"Me either," Ron said and then put on his best mock-Professor Trelawny voice, "It was forseen that Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley would not be taken Newt Divination…"

"I still don't see why you two bothered to keep taking that class when you could have taken Arithmancy instead," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.

Ron looked at her like she had six heads, "Do you know how much extra sleep I got in that class? If she came over to me all I had to do was say 'Sorry Professor, I was refocusing my inner-eye.'"

Harry chortled, "Plus the homework was fun."

"Although it was hard to think of new ways that we would be killed after a while, of course, Hermione likes all of those hard classes where you actually have to think." Ron said jokingly.

"Perhaps that's because I have a brain, unlike you two."

Ron pretended to sound hurt, "You cut me deep there, you did."

Harry laughed, "Alright, enough. I suppose we'd better get a move on with getting things done; I see six of those stupid gnomes going around your lawn already."

About ten minutes later, Ron and Harry were about side, flinging the helpless gnomes out of the backyard. Harry flung his and it hit the old stump. Both boys were nearly rolling on the ground with laughter. Harry finally got a hold of himself and set out to grab another gnome. Ron, however, couldn't stop laughing.

"Okay, Ron," Harry said, "It was funny, but it wasn't funny, but it wasn't that funny."

"No," Ron said, "I- Can't- Stop- Laughing!" He said in between chuckles.

"What?" Harry said; confused.

"I'm- Serious!" He laughed, "I- Can't- Stop! - Get- Help!"

"I'll be right back," Harry said and hurried back inside to get Hermione and Ginny. Maybe one of them would know what was wrong with Ron.

"Well, I've never heard of anything like that," Hermione said, "A curse that causes uncontrollable fits of laughter? Sounds like something Fred and George would come up with if you ask me. Hmm…" She thought for a moment. Harry, Ginny, and herself were hurrying down the stairs to get outside to see Ron, "You don't think this has anything to do with Ron being sick last night, do you?"

"Tiredness, nightmares, fits of laughter?" Ginny said, "Well, I guess anything in the Wizarding world is possible, but he could have been tired from staying up all night, had nightmares because well people have nightmares sometimes, and was laughing because something was funny."

"It's him that's funny," Harry said.

When the three of them got outside, Ron was sitting on the ground with a determined look on his face. He was silent for about three seconds and then he started laughing again. A few moments later, he would pause and then he would start laughing hysterically.

He looked at the three of them helplessly, "I- Can't- Stop!"

"Did your brothers hex you or something?" Hermione asked.

"No," he laughed.

"Well, I'm going to get Mrs. Weasley, then," she said, "This could be serious!"

Harry went along with her. When they were back inside the house, he said, "Or, you know, he could have just cracked."

"I don't think so. If we don't find out what's wrong with him soon, he could end up having a long stay at St. Mungo's."

Hermione and Harry both found themselves at number 12 Grimmuald Place in a flash by way of floo-powder.

"Oh, hello Harry!" Lupin said, "And you too Hermione. What are you two doing here?"

"Well, you see… Ron," Harry and Hermione said at the same time.

"Sorry- You can explain," Harry said.

Hermione began, "Sir, its Ron. There's something wrong. Yesterday he looked awful and he was so tired and felt sick. Today we thought he was fine until he started laughing hysterically and he can't seem to stop."

"Well, am I correct in assuming that you're here to see Molly?" He asked and Hermione and Harry nodded, "Let me go find her. Meanwhile, you two stay here and try not to make any noise." He pointed out the doorway and down the hall to where the covered-up portrait of Mrs. Black hung on the wall, "She was shrieking and screaming all morning."

The two of them nodded and Lupin disappeared down the corridor. He returned some ten minutes later with Mrs. Weasley trailing close behind.

"Remus told me what's going on," she said, "Where's Ron?"

"He's at the Burrow," Harry said, but hardly got to finish before Mrs. Weasley and Lupin disappeared into the fire.

Author's Note: Well, I think I'll end this chapter right here; keep you in a bit of suspense. D Hehe. I hope you like the story so far. About the Ron not being able to stop laughing bit, its not supposed to be funny really… this isn't a humor fic, so yeah, just letting you know. Well, please review and let me know what you think of it so far. Next chapter should be up by next Sunday at the latest (I hope! -) )