Chapter Three: Dismissal and Ultimatum

When Harry was let out of the hospital wing, he made for the empty classroom in which he had arranged to meet Neville, Ginny and the twins. Once settled down he gave the twins a nod to tell them he was ready to speak to Ron. The twins left to collect Ron from the Great Hall as it was breakfast time. When they got there they saw that Hermione was not there.

'Morning, Ron, where's Hermione?' asked Fred.

'In the library, why?' he replied.

'Oh, just wondering, anyway, Harry wants to see you,' said George.

'Where is he?' asked Ron, 'is he still in the hospital wing?'

'No, he got let out this morning, come on, we'll take you to him,' said Fred.

'Okay,' said Ron.

The twins led Ron to the room where Harry, Neville and Ginny were waiting and escorted him inside.

'Hey, Harry, hey, Ginny,' said Ron, 'Neville.'

'Take a seat, Ron,' said Harry as he indicated a chair in front of the desk he was sitting behind.

Ron complied and said, 'You wanted to see me?'

'I did, Ron …' said Harry.

'So what's the problem?' asked Ron.

'Well, according to a few people, you are. You see a few people feel that you are holding me back and that you are lazy and immature. These people include your mother, Bill, Charlie, Fred, George and Ginny, as well as Remus Lupin, and having heard the case against you, I have concluded that they are right. The way you treated me when my name came out of the Goblet of Fire indicates that I cannot trust you. So as of right now I am terminating our friendship, you can go now,' said Harry.

'So, let me get this straight, I make one mistake and that's it, fuck off, Ron?' said Ron, angrily.

'In a manner of speaking, I suppose,' said Harry.

'After four years of friendship, after sacrificing myself and getting knocked out by a giant stone chess queen so you could save the fucking Philosopher's Stone, following you down into the Chamber of Secrets without a working wand, putting myself between you and someone we thought was going to kill you while I stood on a broken leg, means nothing to you?'

'The stakes are much higher now, I need someone who won't run out on me,' said Harry.

'It looks like I can assume that the six members of my family you mentioned earlier are choosing you over me?' said Ron.

'It would appear so,' said Harry.

'Well, Potter, if you want my family, you are fucking welcome to them, it's as Dumbledore said the other night, "we have reached a parting of the ways", so, fuck you, we're through,' said Ron, and he stood up and left the room.

Ron angrily walked away from the room as he needed to vent, so he walked to the seventh floor to find the room he found earlier in the year when he and Harry weren't talking. He walked back and forth three times before the door appeared and went inside. Once inside he saw that the room had provided a whole load of dummies to curse, as well as to punch and kick into oblivion. Once he had finished he collapsed on to the floor as the room went dark.

Meanwhile, back in the classroom, Harry gave the twins the okay to bring Hermione up to the room.

The twins left and found Hermione in the library. They then told her that Harry was out of the hospital wing and wanted to speak to her and that they were going to escort her to where Harry was waiting. Hermione went with them and when they got there, she was invited to sit down in the same chair as Ron was previously.

'So, you are probably wondering what this is all about?' said Harry.

'Yes, I am,' Hermione replied.

'Well, before I tell you I think you should know that Ronald and I are no longer friends. As you know Voldemort is back and I need people I can count on, and given his attitude when my name came out of the Goblet of Fire, he is not one of them, so we're through. You have always been a great friend to me and I appreciate everything you have ever done for me, and more importantly, I still want to be friends with you, are you with me so far?' said Harry.

Hermione was shocked at what Harry had told her, she could not believe that Harry would end his friendship with Ron. The question in her head was where does this leave her friendship with the two boys?

'So far, yes,' she replied.

'Good, but, and there is a big but, is that my friendship comes with a couple of conditions. The first is obvious, I need you to sever all ties with Ronald, which means no talking to him, writing to him or communicating with him in any way. The second one is that Neville here needs your help, he needs help with Potions and Transfiguration, and with his self-esteem; you see he also needs you to be more than just friends with him. I'm sorry it has to be this way, I mean I assume you and Viktor Krum are just friends, right?'

Hermione was completely taken aback by Harry's demands and general demeanour. He never asked her personal questions about anything, ever. Hermione could not help wondering what happened in that graveyard or who had told him to say and do the things he was.

'Viktor and I are just friends, nothing more,' said Hermione, answering Harry's question, but before Harry could say another word, Hermione spoke once more, 'You've said a lot here, Harry, and I need to think about it all, so may I think about all this and get back to you later?'

'That's true, I have given you a lot to think about and process, so you may think about it, but I need an answer by tonight as we leave tomorrow,' said Harry.

'Right, I'll have an answer for you by then, I'll come up to the boy's dorm before bedtime, see you then, Harry,' Hermione said as she got to her feet and then left the room.