Ron was shaky as he left the room with his friends. His adrenaline had crashed and he felt achy to his bones. His hands were clenched tightly around his books.

"Ron, are you alright?" It was Hermione who asked. Ron's jaw tightened.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Just need to get to Doctor Strange's lesson."

"Well, we got nowhere we need to be. Want us to join you?" Neville offered. Ron's hands took a deep breath recognizing the offer of comfort. But he needed time to decompress. A walk alone to his lesson would probably do him some good.

"Thanks. But I think Doctor Strange will want me on my own for my first lesson back at Hogwarts."

He gave them a smile he hoped conveyed confidence.

"I'll be fine. Why don't you guys go around before rumors start and... yah know. Get out of control."

"Oh that would be bad," Neville muttered looking slightly horrified. "Pixie madness."

"Wouldn't that just invite chaos from your brothers?" Harry asked Ron. Ron felt himself relax ever so slightly at the idea. Outwardly, he put a horrified expression on his face, "Please stop them before they destroy the castle."

"Will do Ron," Neville chuckled. "C'mon guys. There's only two of them," he joked. Neville took Harry and Hermione to go and try to settle rumors as Ron made his way into the dungeon. The dungeon was devoid of people lingering the halls. Few wanted to walk the chilled halls below the school.

"Well who do we have here."

Ron groaned. Turning around he saw the smug face of Draco Malfoy, flanked by his larger "associates" Crabbe and Goyle.

"And what are you doing down here Weasel?" Draco egged on. Ron stared at Draco in confusion.

"Weasel? Are you having trouble speaking clearly?" he said in as steady voice as he could. "I thought you were smarter than that."

Draco sneered at Ron.

"Think you're funny do you?"

"Do you?" Ron replied.

"The only thing funny is that you think you can just waltz down here without a detention."

"Well sorry your majesty, but I have a class to get to. I believe that lets me come down here."

"Lair. You have no class down here. As good students, we should report you to Professor Snape."

"But you're not going to because I'm not lying and it would make you look like a bigger fool."

It finally clicked in Crabbe and Goyle's heads how Ron was fighting back with his words. Draco was practically seething at his insults.

"Let's get him to Professor Snape. He'll take care of him."

There was something about his walk that made Ron tense. He saw Draco's hand go for his wand as Crabbe and Goyle followed. Ron knew them growing closer would not be good, so he blurted out "Trudo."

There was no light. No gust of pressure. But the three were thrown back about ten feet back and landed on their behinds. Ron stared with wide eyes at the strength of the spell. It was only when the three jumped up that he turned tail and ran towards Doctor Strange's classroom. He could hear the three running after him, his books weighing him down. He didn't slow down though. He looked for the open door next to the potion's class room and barreled in. He dropped his books on the table as Doctor Strange's portal appeared in all it's golden orange glory. With all the confidence in the world, the well groomed man stepped forth. His eyes gazed over at Ron's panting form.

He then looked over to the door, where the heavy footfalls of Crabbe and Goyle could be heard as Draco Malfoy made it to the door way. Doctor Strange raised a brow and as Draco opened his mouth to say something, Doctor Strange lazily waved his hand towards the door. The door closed with a slam in Draco's face, curtesy of the floating cloak Ron noticed Doctor Strange wasn't wearing for once.

"Glad to see you've made it for your lesson," Doctor Strange said neutrally.

"Wouldn't miss it," he panted.

"Dare I ask about your little friend on the other side of the door?"

"Not... not my friend. He's more of a problem."

"You don't solve problems by running."

"I know."

"You solve them by driving them mad or overwhelming them."

"I think my dad has the same motto."

"It would not surprise me."

"Take breather and prepare for your lesson," Strange stated. Ron did as he was told and pulled the gloves Strange had given him two years ago and put them on, watching in fascination as they were now a perfect fit. He took in a few deep breaths, trying to dispel the thoughts and horrors that plagued his mind brought on by the Defense class.

"Show me your push and pull," Doctor Strange commanded, placing a notebook on the table.

"Praepirio," Ron cast the spell, focusing on the notebook as it flew to his hand. He snatched it easily, controlling the spell to not go as fast as it did when he first cast it. Then he loosened his grip on it and cast, "Trudo."

The book went flying back, bouncing a bit on the table, but not going over the edge.

"Good. Again."

The repetition was dull, but had a calming effect on Ron as he cast the two spells with more control and less thought. His hyper mind addled by the school and memories grew less frantic. The spells felt natural.

"Now, I want you to cast the barrier spell."

"On what?" Ron asked. They had used it on the jars the year prior, and his mentor did the room before they had started last year as well.

"On the room Ron."

"Does the spell not last?" he asked.

"Not with as often as the door is open in shut. It would not harm it to cast it again."

Ron nodded at the explanation as it did sort of make sense.

"Tendicula Parma!" he cast. He could feel the magic he was casting create a shell clinging onto to stone walls and the wooden door. It was invisible to the naked eye but he could tell it was clearly there. Even casting the spell between the gap between the floor and the door.

"Very good. You're improving."

Ron smiled at the compliment.

"Does that mean you'll teach me a new spell?"

"What kind of spell are you hoping to get from me?"

"Something offensive?" he asked. His mind went to the Cornish pixies, the enchanted chess set, and the Mountain Troll.

"Absolutely not."

"What?"

"You're too young emotionally to be effective in controlling such spells. Not to mention the lack of appropriate time to use them at your age. You're better off learning wizard spells for that at this age. Sorcery is no laughing matter with the devastation it can cause with even basic use."

Ron was quiet at the quick dismissal and explanation. He couldn't really argue given how different it was casting spells he learned at Hogwarts versus those that he learned from Doctor Strange. His mind wandered, trying to think of a good spell to ask to learn.

"I want one to help stop a bad fall."

"A fall?"

"Harry was nearly bucked off of his broom in a Quiditch game. If I could soften the ground or-"

"Slow his fall?"

"Yeah."

"I have a spell for that."

The lesson was long, but Ron was eager to try and master the new spell. Granted, he needed someone to drop something for him to work the spell, but perhaps at Quiditch practice he would have the opportunity. He had recieved his notice for a lesson, shortly after working with Doctor Strange. It was a few days off and really early in the morning. Who knew Wood was a morning person?

Ron had been taking things as easily as he could. He stuck with his friends to avoid another one on three moment with Malfoy and his goons. He was mildly amused to see Harry trying to avoid Colin as Colin seemed to know exactly where Harry was at any given moment and ready to ask a boatload of questions. Ron may have had a part in Colin finding out the schedule of the second year Gryffindors. Colin didn't really bother Ron. He had a playfulness and excited nature that was rather fun to interact with.

Hermione and Neville were a little put off having Colin pop up next to them and talk their ears off and snapping pictures. Ron however was down at the field with Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor team, not entirely sure if he was still stuck on reserve after last years horrendous loss with him as seeker, or off the team. Professor McGonagall never did say how long the punishment was supposed to last so... he showed up.

Considering his invite, he assumed he was stuck on the team. Hopefully they wouldn't need him to actually play. It was more amusing to talk to Colin about the nuances of the magical world. Despite his magical background, he grew up like Ron, completely unaware of the world he had been supposedly born into. But unlike Ron, Colin was wonderfully excited about everything. It was almost Hermione leveled fascination. And thankfully, not just the academia.

"Wow! Quiditch sounds so cool! Is it true that Harry is the youngest player in a century?!"

The only down side was his lack of indoor voice. Granted, they were outside prepping on the Quiditch field but it was still rather early. That and his questions were directed to Hermione and Neville because non players were not supposed to be on the field-field.

"Morning Wood," Ron greeted with a yawn. Fred and George squawked out a laugh. The members of the team rolled their eyes as Ron and Harry just seemed confused. Wood seemed remarkably indifferent.

"Ah, now that everyone is here, we can get started. After last year, I have been going over plans, strategies, and training, to avoid the same outcome as last year."

Ron averted his eyes. While he may not have been enthusiastic of being on the team, he did feel kind of bad that he cost the team the victory.

"We are going to be faster, we're going to play smarter. We-"

"Are going to stop hogging the entire field," a rougher voice interrupted. A wave of green robes went approached the set red. A wicked smirk leading the green, approached the red robed scowl of Wood.

"Flint."

"Wood."

"We have the field. We requested it, and it was granted. We don't need you here spying on us."

"Afraid? Don't worry, we don't need to resort to such tactics. We're just here, on account of training our new seeker. Professor Snape's orders."

"What? A new seeker? Last I checked Higgs was a seventh year."

A silent jab at the apparent threat of Harry Potter. Beating their seeker as a first year must have been a blow to their pride.

"Higgs wanted to focus on his studies. Who are we to fault him?"

Wood arched his brow at the mean looking sixth year. His look practically screamed disbelief. As if to ask who would chose anything over Quiditch.

"So who'd you settle with?" Fred questioned, sass filling every syllable. The Slytherin team parted like the red sea to reveal the slicked back platinum blond hair of Draco Malfoy. Ron watched as Harry's eyes narrowed and the two second years seemed focused on each other. Ron watched, feeling uneasy at the interaction. He was used to double talk and hidden meanings, but this was far thinner, each so close to saying or doing something that would end with them all being in trouble.

"Malfoy," Harry spoke with disbelief and slight anger apparent.

"Well, he is a seeker worthy flyer. Just like Higgs." Flint looked down on Ron at the comment though, giving the statement a different meaning.

Wood's eyes sparked with his own rage. Fred and George moved up, their beater's clubs clenched tightly in their hands. The Unlike Weasley went silently heard and visibly acknowledged.

"It gives you no right to be here after we've scheduled to practice. We didn't to anyone when Harry became our seeker."

"True as that may be, we received a rather, generous donation," Flint added with the whole team revealing their uniform and identical brooms. Dark polished wood with a silver script saying, Nimbus 2001. "Professor Snape agreed that we need to make sure we know how to fly with our state of the art brooms."

"You need flying lessons? There's a shock," Fred joked. The Slytherin team didn't seem to think it was terribly funny.

"New brooms need breaking in, like new shoes. Clearly something you've never had."

"Ah, but talent isn't something you can buy, unlike positions on your team."

Ron just stood there watching the teams size one another up, sneering at one another ready to bite back another quip when a large hair angel saved them.

"What are you lot doin?" the familiar gruff voice of Hagrid the ground's keeper called out. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife, but no one was foolish enough to say something to the ground's keepers face during the school year. The man was the kinder and more beastly version of Filch.

"Just getting in some practice," Flint commented, "Mount up."

Slytherin's team mounted in near perfect uniformity and took to the air. Wood's nostrils flared in his anger.

"Far side of the field! Everybody, practice is still on!"

Practice was long and tedious. What with the two teams "accidently" running into one another, firing off bludgers towards the others, intercepting one another or near crashing into each other made it exhausting. To little Colin though, he was bouncing up and down from the excitement of the wild unpredicted Quiditch lesson.

"That was amazing! Does that happen often? How fast can you go? Do first years really get to fly?"

"Teams don't meet up together, I have no idea, and Madam Hooch will be teaching you." Ron spoke to the point, avoiding Hermione's in depth explanations to the hyper boy, and no doubt pulling Harry's irritation into just the first question given Wood's rather agressive training session. Colin took it with stride and Neville just looked amused. Harry, was exhausted and focused on getting back to the dorm to get started on the homework Hermione would no doubt be on them about.

"Is it hard?! How high do you go? How fast can you go?"

"It varies, pretty high, but we got in trouble, and I don't know really."

The conversation went back and forth all the way to the dorms. It had become a conversation that Hermione and Harry had started to listen in on in fascination.

"So you come from an all magic family? What's it like?"

"Anyone ever tell you, you would be a good reporter?"

Colin actually fell quiet at the redirection Ron presented.

"No. I don't think anyone's ever told me that. You really think so?"

"You know what questions to ask. You're naturally curious and you've got the camera to prove something happened."

Colin's face lit up brightly as his smile grew. His eyes sparkled and before Ron could realize, a picture was snapped. Ron blinked as lights danced across his eyes. As his vision was compromised, he felt skinny arms wrap around him in a quick hug.

"Thanks Ron. No one's ever been so nice about my hobby," he spoke quickly, referring to his camera.

"Erm... no problem?"

Colin opened his mouth to say something when Ginny appeared.

"Hey Ginny! Bye Ron!" he said running over to Ginny in excitement. Colin began regaling her with the Quiditch practice and all the cool things he had seen as the four left the two to do what Hermione said. Their homework.

Another chapter bites the dust... And another one gone, and another one gone...

In all seriousness, it has bothered me that Slytherin was allowed to essentially take the field when it was already being used, with permission and publicly known. Gryffindor didn't get that treatment when Harry was made seeker, nor does it happen when any other character joins the Quiditch team. I know Snape and favoritism but he would need more leverage than just a new player. Entirely new team equipment is a slightly better stretch. Like driving a car, each one would be different and it would make it a safety issue.

Granted, I'm sure that Slytherin were already riding on good brooms considering their pride to win, it was just that Malfoy Senior's donation that truly tipped the scale in a whole team needing "more time" to train.

Also, on a slightly varied note, Venture's Adventure for Takos by Mysticarts has finally updated. A sister story and culinary fic.