A/N: Thanks for reviewing! Sorry it was such a long wait; I was stuck without internet access for a while. I tried to put some humor back in this one, please tell me if I succeeded.

Disclaimer: I do own some things; but the Harry Potter series is really, really not one of them!

The next morning was a quiet one. That is, until the screaming began. It started just as the few early risers of Hogwarts were stirring and rising out of their beds in their respective dormitories. The sun had not quite rose over the mountains and the sky had the hazy blue-white color of pre-dawn. All was silent until the sudden shrieks broke the calm. The noise reverberated off the stone walls and soon could be heard all throughout the Gryffindor boy's dormitories.

As can be expected, very loud high-pitched screaming is not welcome at such an early time of day. Being jarred from sleep a full half hour early than needed did not sit well with the boys. While some just groaned and buried their heads under their pillows others had more drastic reactions. Most of the first years, still unaccustomed to Hogwarts, found the sound very alarming and leapt from bed as if they had been sleeping on hot coals. A few of the younger muggle-born students thought the noise was some kind of queer shrill fire drill and wondered frantically if Hogwarts could have caught fire. A dim boy in third year seemed to think that the sound was coming from inside his own dormitory and proceeded to throw heavy objects from his bedside table into each of his year-mates beds. Needless to say, they were not pleased.

The most common reaction was for a boy to poke his head out into the stairs and call "What in the hell is the bloody ruckus?" or something similar. Many were not able to be as articulate this early in the morning and many cries of "Piss off!" and quite a few angry curses were heard. All of the boy's voices showed equal parts drowsiness and agitation, which is a fair mixture as loud screaming had just rudely awakened them.

But no one's reaction was as frantic as of the boys in the sixth year dormitory. This was, of course, because it was their dormitory that the screaming was originating from. They had obviously been the first to hear the noise and within seconds three heads had popped out of the curtains of three beds. They instantly realized what, or who rather, was the cause of the ruckus.

It was Neville Longbottom.

He was thrashing about his bed, emitting loud screeches and seemed to be in quite a lot of anguish. Somehow he had managed to rip one side of his bed curtain off and was now rolling about in it with increasing desperation.

This sight of Neville sent the three boys into immediate action. They flung themselves from their beds and were at Neville's bedside in an instant. Dean grabbed his legs, Seamus his arms, and Harry tried to untangle him from the curtain. While they struggled with the flailing Neville they tried desperately to scream above the din that Neville was making.

"What in the hell has come over him?" yelled Harry.

"Haven't the faintest! Think he's being tortured?" replied Dean.

"By who? His bed post?" Seamus yelled sarcastically.

"Well I don't bloody well kn-"

Just then Neville's leg escaped from Dean's grip and created a bit of a scuffle as it shot up, knocked Harry's glasses off and proceeded to kick Seamus in the jaw.

"Watch out there!"

"Almost had it!"

"C'mon, get the bugger!"

Neville's leg made a few very valiant attempts to escape Dean until it was finally captured once again. Now that Neville was under a minimal control, Harry tried to wake him up. Screaming and slapping his face seemed to do no good, as that just seemed to rile up Neville's limbs even more. Finally, with the desperation of someone who has been whacked repeatedly in the face, Harry made a desperate run for the jug of water kept on the bureau by the door. He returned and quickly dumped the water on the yelling face of Neville. Neville had been in mid-scream when the water was poured; so much of it had been deposited into his mouth. Neville sputtered up the water in a violent manner but his legs stopped their writhing and his eyes popped open.

Neville sat up unexpectedly and immediately started speaking excitedly. "Oh you wouldn't believe the nightmare I've just had! It was awful!"

"What about the nightmare we've just had!" Dean said with anger.

Neville continued on, apparently not hearing Dean.

"It was Rita Skeeter and she had that awful Quick-Notes Quill, you know the one Harry! Anyway at first it was okay because I had done something heroic and she was having an interview with me. But then the quill, it kept getting bigger and bigger and suddenly it was chasing me 'round Hogwarts and Rita Skeeter was in the background cackling like some mad women! I tried to fend the quill off by kicking it you know! But it was really out to get me! I swear that quick notes quill…"

Dean, Seamus, and Harry glared at Neville with open mouths.

"Do you mean to say, that we just wrestled with your thrashing legs and arms because you were having a bad dream about Rita Skeeter?" questioned Harry.

"Yeah, The way you were flailing about we thought you were being tortured by a deatheater or something! You should have heard the noise you were making, you've probably woke the whole of Hogwarts up!" exclaimed Dean.

Seamus just mumbled "Only Neville…." as he rolled back into his own bed.

Harry was making his way back to his bed, when he suddenly realized something.

He made a quick de-tour and headed for Ron's bed instead. "Oi, Ron! Why didn't you come help us; we really could've used y-" he trailed off suddenly when he remembered what had happened last night. Harry hadn't been in the common room when it happened, but Ginny had told him all that had occurred, and what a state Hermione had been in. He had felt bad for both of them and had kept out of Ron's way the night before; which wasn't hard considering Ron stayed in his bead with the curtains closed all night.

Harry drew open the curtain of Ron's four-poster slowly. Ron was not asleep; it would have been impossible to sleep through Neville's wails. He was sitting with his knees drawn up to his chin and his arms wrapped around his legs. He looked a little lost, as if something of his was missing and he wasn't quite sure where to look for it. Harry noticed with a shock that his eyes were bloodshot and looked very much as if he had been crying. Harry had only seen Ron cry a few times in the past, one of which being the time in second year when Hermione was in the Hospital wing.

Harry was trying to think of something to say to Ron when Seamus let out a yell.

"So that's why I couldn't find my notes last night; they're all bloody ripped up!"

Seamus was standing near Ron's bed looking furious. He gestured at the floor where there was a large scattering of tiny pieces of ripped paper.

"Did you do this Ron? It's not my fault that you go-" Seamus was cut off by Harry who could tell that Ron was in no shape to argue with him. "Lay off him, here I'll fix it."

Harry cast a repairing charm and the small pieces quickly came together to form a few pages of notes.

"Thanks," Seamus mumbled casting a last angry look at Ron.

Ron's expression had not changed at all. As the boys got dressed and gathered their things, Ron was strangely silent and distant. He seemed to be in his own sort of place, neither quite here nor there. This upset Harry. Ron and Hermione had fights all the time, but Ron had never acted in this way before. He would usually be grumbling about Hermione in undertones, and Harry could catch things such as "Thinks she knows bloody everything!" and "That damn Vicky!" Harry had known that Ron had some sort of feelings for Hermione for some time, and it was hard to have to watch him be fighting with her. But nothing in the past had compared to this. He wasn't sure what to do this time; usually he and Ginny goaded them both into apologizing and they would be on good terms fairly soon. But Harry could tell that there was nothing Ginny or him could do this time, it was much deeper than that. Something had been broken between them and by the look of Ron; he was a bit broken as well.

A/N I've just realized that this is going at an excruciatingly slow pace; there has been 4 chapters over about 10 hours. Oh Well. I know there wasn't much of Ron and Hermione but I thought it had gotten too gloomy and emotional. Next chapter will be up very soon.