Chapter 22
The next few weeks passed uneventful for Harry. He was pleased, thinking that maybe this year, he would have no trouble at school. Maybe, just maybe, this year would be different. Maybe this year, Harry could be normal. But something strange seemed to be taking place in his friends. It seemed to Harry that they kept putting distance between Harry and themselves. He barely saw Ginny, Hermione, or Ron anymore. A few times he mentioned it, but they said that he shouldn't be ridiculous, and of course they spent time together, they just all studied a lot now. Harry accepted this as an acceptable excuse, for he didn't want to seem paranoid. But after a month of this strange behavior, Harry decided he needed to find out what was really going on. He entered the Common Room after dinner to find it mostly empty except for Seamus and Dean who were playing chess together and a few other Gryffindors. One of these other Gryffindors happened to be Ron, who was playing Exploding Snap. He saw Harry enter and started cleaning up the game and his things as if getting ready to leave. Harry walked over and asked,
"Are you going somewhere? I was hoping we could play chess or something."
Ron turned his back and mumbled over his shoulder, "No thanks, I have to study."
Harry felt his temper flare quickly, but he tried to control it, for the last thing he needed was to yell at his friends when they were already acting strange. He took a deep breath and said, "Can't you spare 20 minutes? I mean, you never cared about school before, and you were just playing a game until you saw me."
Ron turned back around and shrugged. "I really have to study Harry."
Harry couldn't take it anymore. "That's a bloody load of crap and you know it Ron! Why don't you tell me why you and Ginny and Hermione are acting like I'm a freak or something?"
Ron stared and opened his mouth as if to say something, but then thought better of it and closed it. He turned his back to Harry again and proceeded to put his things in his bag. Harry reached out, grabbed Ron by the back of his collar, and turned him around so that Ron was facing him again.
"What is going on?" Harry shouted in his face.
Ron averted his eyes and said in a low voice, "I'm just not so sure if we should keep being friends."
Harry's eyes widened and he felt his throat and mouth dry up immediately. He let go of Ron and stumbled back a few feet. He didn't even catch the look of regret that was on Ron's face, but almost as soon as it was there, it was gone.
"Do Ginny and Hermione feel the same way?" Harry asked in a low scratchy voice that was quiet unlike his own. Ron nodded, still not looking at Harry.
Harry looked at Ron one last time before stumbling off to bed. He finally reached his bed, changed mechanically into pajamas, and climbed underneath the covers. He lay in his bed, not sleeping, feeling at first numb, but progressively feeling worse than he had in his entire life. He had never experienced this pain. He had just lost his 3 best friends in the entire world. He had no one now. He didn't know what to do. He lay awake the entire night, not even dozing off. At 6, he finally rose and donned his Invisibility Cloak and took his Marauder's Map and slipped out of the dormitory. He started wandering halls, not knowing what to do, feeling lost in the world. He didn't have anyone to talk to. Harry wandered around wondering who on earth could explain this strange behavior.
'Percy.' The thought came to Harry quickly. Percy knew Ron and Ginny better than anyone. Maybe he could explain this all, or even ask Ron and Ginny about it. At this thought, Harry felt a little better knowing that soon, the world may make sense soon again. He rushed off to his dormitory, changed quickly and rushed back out to go write a letter to Percy.