Chapter 26: Spring Madness
The interview promised by the Daily Prophet was printed two days later – in its Wednesday issue. It seemed to Harry that he didn't learn anything particularly new, but the article of the interview made it quite difficult to start the usual Alchemy lesson that day due to a sudden flood of questions. This news was especially of interest to the Ravenclaw students Anthony and Terry.
"Professor, you said in your interview that the new building in Hogsmeade is intended for your research in Alchemy; may we ask you what exactly do you want to research?" Anthony asked, feeling excited and interested.
"Mr. Goldstein, I must say I'm keeping this delicate information to myself. What if you are going to use my ideas to obtain the very meritorious discoveries in Alchemy by yourselves later?" Flamel said with a smile as he adjusted his glasses on his bony nose.
"But your research – isn't it related to… well… the Philosopher's Stone?" Terry asked gingerly. "I suppose it is really unacceptable for us to ask you, the Master of Alchemy with such great and complete knowledge in Alchemy, about the intricacies of your experiments, but you could at least reveal the subject to us. Perhaps, we are living on the edge of a new discovery now."
Flamel was pleasantly surprised of Terry's respectful flattering, and although he had said just a moment ago that he hadn't intended to talk much of the interview today, since they still had a lot of work to do with learning and deciphering the symbols of Alchemy, however, he replied, "Thank you, Mr. Boot, for your kind words. I would like to say that it would be an exaggeration to claim that I'm hoping to invent a painless way of creating the Philosopher's Stone on my own – remember when we talked about this subject in the class before Christmas – such a thing is impossible, but researches in Alchemy often lead to other important discoveries, too. For example, half of the knowledge of potion making is the result of unsuccessful experiments of producing the Philosopher's Stone. If you really have such a passionate interest in these experiments, perhaps you can work for me as my apprentices after graduating Hogwarts. Until then, I'll have checked the experiment and its safety." Flamel stopped smiling and was now serious, "But now we'll begin our class with the symbolism of Alchemy. So, please tell me what does this symbol mean – a circle with a dot in the middle?"
The students responded in unison, "It's the symbol of the Sun," and the lesson continued as usual, without any more questions about the secret experiments of the Philosopher's Stone.
When the class ended, Ron was grumpy next to Harry as they walked, "Did you see how Terry was flattering Flamel? He was licking his arse practically with his tongue – I suppose it is really unacceptable for us to ask you, the Master of Alchemy with such great and complete knowledge in Alchemy, about the intricacies of your experiments." He quietly mocked his classmate.
"Mhm, and your dislike for Terry has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that you had a big argument with Hermione because of him. No, not at all," Ginny said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes.
"No, that really isn't the reason, but as I said it before I think he had become so slimy, only thinking about how to suck up to people. And look – he practically got an apprenticeship with Flamel," Ron said indignantly.
"Listen, mate, but he is a Ravenclaw," Harry replied. "They all look up at Flamel as if he's some kind of superstar. And Luna told us that during the holidays our Ravenclaw classmates had gathered specially to study Alchemy."
"That's what I'm saying – in the morning they already asked Luna some questions, and basically she didn't tell anything more than Flamel in his interview, but then this Terry starts flattering Flamel, and, who could believe it, the professor really answers him, even though he bluntly said at the very beginning of the class that he won't tell anything more. I'm telling you, a lickspittle that Terry is!" Ron still insisted.
"But, Ron, it's our friend Terry," Ginny argued. "He's a member of the D.A. and last year he fought Voldemort together with us. And then, as we lived in the Room of Requirement, he was always sitting in a corner reading a book of potion making. I suppose he had set his mind on pulling some kind of a prank on Carrows back then, but he didn't succeed."
"Ron, really, calm down – I didn't notice anything like that in his questions," Harry said, but as he claimed it he felt like a little prick stabbing at his heart. As if he had lied without knowing it, but Harry didn't really understand where such a feeling might have come from. But what if Ron actually was more or less right about the thing that their companion and good friend had succumbed to the flaw of the toadyism? But then – what's the big deal about it, Ron usually exaggerates the circumstances of the situations when it's relating to Hermione in some way, and Harry was sure his friend was still mad at Terry.
Arriving at the Potions Classroom door in the Dungeons, Ron was still grumpy because Harry and Ginny didn't agree with him, and he didn't hesitate to present his views on Terry to Hermione.
Hearing out Ron, Hermione shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Ron, will you leave Terry be for once? All I can tell you is that Ravenclaws are basically obsessed with the research of the Philosopher's Stone. There were countless times when I had to move to another table away from them, because there were a crowd of them including the same Terry, generating one theory crazier than another in which I just couldn't stand listening. Maybe that's why the Sorting Hat didn't put me in Ravenclaw after all, because stepping over corpses just to make the progress of Magic don't seem acceptable to me."
"Of course, I knew that Ravenclaws were basically obsessed with studying, but I hadn't noticed that they were some kind of fanatic lunatics," Ron argued. "For example, our Luna is not like that at all."
Hermione sneered, "Yeah right, you really did find the best of the examples. Of course, your beloved Luna hasn't done anything crazy in the name of knowledge."
Harry could barely suppress his laughter. "Ron, listen, and what if I admit that you're at least partially right? Terry did act a bit or even much more than just a little bit ingratiating today, but Hermione is also right – Ravenclaws tend to get deeply into some of the craziest theories. So, Ron just relax, please. Tonight is the Quidditch practice where you could work your anger out."
"Yeah, tonight I've planned the practice, and then I've reserved time on Saturday morning," Ginny added. "So, dear brother, do save your steam for the Quidditch Pitch. It's much useful to discharge it there than on us." Ginny winked at her brother as she spoke to him.
To Harry's delight, at the evening as they were going to sleep, his friend was much calmer than in the morning before lunch. Apparently Ginny had succeeded to work out his frustration while he was practicing in his Keeper position.
The next few days were peaceful for them, with Hermione reflecting again on the setting up the schedules for rereading the studying materials for N.E.W.T. exams.
"Hermione, it's still a month left until Easter, do you really have to think about exams so early?" Harry objected her and Ron fully agreed with his view.
"It's not a month left, but only three weeks to Easter. In addition, the N.E.W.T. exams are incomparably more important than O.W.L.s, and then already I was short of time to repeat all of the subjects."
"Mhm, and for you three the N.E.W.T. exams are the only thing that's going to set your chances in your future," Ginny said sarcastically. "Because you haven't done anything particularly remarkable at all that had made you famous practically in the whole Wizarding world."
"But, Ginny, that's exactly why we have to know our stuff. Because everyone knows us. For example, when I start my first day at work, I wouldn't want to fail terribly just because I had missed something at school due to my negligence," Hermione argued.
It reminded Harry of something. "Fame isn't everything – Snape said it to me a long time ago, when he had put me in my place, because I didn't know the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane in the very first Potions class."
This conversation had taken place at the breakfast table on Saturday morning, before Harry, Ron, and Ginny had their Quidditch practice and Hermione had her usual Boggart-banishing duty with Malfoy. The four of the friends were still sitting by their empty plates at the Gryffindor table, when a young student delivered them a rolled-up note tied with an emerald ribbon.
Harry already guessed what it was – and indeed, it was another invitation from Slughorn, which promised him "a nice afternoon leisure with the famous nature wizard Rolf Scamander".
"In the afternoon, the Pitch is reserved by Slytherins, so we'll have a free time then, so we can attend it," Ginny said as she rolled up her invitation.
The weather promised to be very pleasant and they had planned some nice activities today, so Harry felt quite happy as he headed to the practice. After three hours of intense flying, working out and shouting, the same three young people slowly went back to the Great Hall, only this time – for eating lunch. Harry felt refreshed after the practice; their team had played great, maybe McLagor and Knowlton weren't as good as Alicia, Katie or Angelina, but their performance was good enough. If they'll win the upcoming game versus Hufflepuff at the end of April, they'll have a pretty chance to win the Quidditch Cup.
Discussing several game scenario possibilities, Harry, Ron, and Ginny approached the Gryffindor table where Hermione was already about to eat her lunch with Lavender sitting next to her.
As the three of them walked closer to both girls, Harry's ears caught a fragment of their conversation. "Well, but please tell me, only to me – because I saw how both of you came out of that classroom – is this the reason why you look so good all the time? He's getting you that face cream for free, isn't he? Because I know it costs a fortune," Lavender eagerly questioned Hermione.
"I really did something for him so he provided me with some packages of the face cream jars. Remember, I shared a few of the jars with you too, so will you please stop asking about it now?" Hermione said annoyed.
But not far away from the girls, Ron stopped immediately. Harry saw his friend's anger flare up in his eyes again, so Ron dropped his body heavily on the bench next to Hermione, who jumped in her seat and turned toward him. Upon seeing Ron, Lavender excused herself that she had forgotten to tell Fay something important and in an instant she disappeared from Ron and Hermione's sight.
Harry began to feel like this isn't going to end well, since Ron's face was now dreary like a thunder cloud. However, when he spoke up, his voice sounded surprisingly calm.
"Please, do tell me I've horribly misunderstood something again – but who is that he with whom you came out of an empty classroom today?"
Hermione looked worried as she heard Ron's question, but she seemed even more frightened by her boyfriend's deceptive calmness. It was obvious he had slowly begun to learn from his mistakes, so he didn't attack Hermione with all his fury demanding an immediate answer, but instead asked her seemingly calmly, even though it was visible his anger were boiling inside him.
"Ron, it's not like it may sound or what you might have thought," Hermione said shyly.
"Just don't start telling me again that you just talked to someone. In private. In an empty classroom. Who is he? Terry? Or maybe it's another fan of yours? I suppose you don't lack them in the Ravenclaw," Ron said in a peaceful but also in an ice cold manner. Meanwhile, Harry and Ginny, feeling awkward, sat down at the table behind Hermione. The next part of the conversation didn't seem to get very pleasant.
"Ron, please, I'll explain everything to you," Hermione began, but Ron interrupted her.
"Who is that he you are cheating on me with? I bet he's Terry," he added quietly at the end.
"No, Ron, it's nothing like that!" Hermione claimed as she lowered her voice.
"So, who are you cheating on me with?" Ron asked her more angrily.
"It's not like that, Ron, I'm not cheating on you," Hermione said as she sighed deeply. Harry could imagine how she felt right now – maybe it would actually be easier for her to explain to Ron that she was cheating on him with someone than to reveal the truth that she had spent time in an empty classroom with the Head Boy today.
Ron didn't answer anything verbally, but looked at her with such a gaze that would make even the Flobberworm freeze in its place. However, Ginny just loaded a pile of beef stew on her plate and began to eat listening intently.
"This morning, Lavender saw me coming out of a classroom on the first floor with… Malfoy," Hermione finally gathered up her courage and told it to Ron.
"With Malfoy?" Ron said in disbelief. "You were together with Malfoy?"
"Stop it, Ron, I wasn't together with him like that," Hermione said annoyed. Now Ron seemed confused, unable to understand why Hermione needed to spend even a minute longer in Malfoy's presence than necessary. And the thought that she could be secretly meeting Malfoy without him knowing it, was absolutely beyond his comprehension. It could be anyone, but with Malfoy?
"But with Malfoy?" Ron repeated again, still unable to believe his ears. "Why? Wait a minute, it's not just because you need those creams from his parents' store? Because Lavender just said so…"
"Listen, I'll tell you everything, but brace yourself that you won't like it," Hermione said. "Well… I tutor him on Saturdays for one hour, and he actually gave me the face cream I need."
Ron just blinked and shook his head in confusion – he really couldn't believe it.
"You are tutoring Malfoy? How long ago did you start it?" he asked. "After that accident with Fiendfyre?"
"Actually, after the accident with the first Basilisk," Hermione confessed in a small voice as she lowered her gaze to her plate where just a few lonely cold halves of boiled potatoes were lying.
"But that was…" Ron spoke up, thinking back about the exact time of that event.
"That's right – it was in September," Hermione said, now looking at him again.
"You were tutoring Malfoy every Saturday from the very beginning of the school year, and now it's the first time when I'm hearing this? Why are you telling me this only now?" This time Ron really looked hurt.
"First of all, Malfoy asked me not to tell anyone about it," Hermione replied, "second, I knew you wouldn't like it at all and there always something happened so I delayed my explanation to you as I kept promising myself that I'll do it later. Besides, he really saved me from that Basilisk. You know, since we stepped down to the Chamber of Secrets during the Battle of Hogwarts, and when I saw that skeleton of the giant snake, I kept thinking about how Harry confronted that monster all alone, so it was showing up in my nightmares now and then. And when that Boggart was coming closer to me in the darkness of the Dungeons, I really felt like turning into stone again – those big yellow eyes…"
Ron wasn't sure how to react to this, so he asked Hermione to go talk everything out somewhere more quiet and private.
Harry and Ginny were left just two of them again, and Harry thought about this mess: Their relationship really is like a rough road.
Ron was talking out his difficulties with Hermione all afternoon, so Harry and Ginny, realizing that it was better not to disturb the two of them now, went to the Slughorn's cozy tea party which was attended also by the famous Rolf Scamander in person him having brought his trusted hawk to them. Harry thought the brown-haired young man, who was rather good looking, resembled a bit Charlie, considering his dressing and appearance. Though it was still winter outside, the young man had a tan face and hands, and his clothes were plain like he was ready to jump in an exciting adventure at any moment.
It was exciting to listen to his adventure stories about how he had chased after all kinds of legendary beasts, such as Bigfoot, or trying to find wondrous plants as Golden Fern Flower, so the afternoon soon turned into evening. The today's guest of Slughorn discussed the most with Neville, but he also chatted for a while with Luna, especially when he was telling his story of his adventures in Sweden.
Luna had asked him if he had spotted any traces of a Crumple-Horned Snorkack, but Rolf had laughed at her question and answered her jokingly that he already had four of them at home.
On the way back to their Common Rooms, Luna mumbled angrily as she walked next to Harry and Ginny, "He said he has four Snorkacks. It's ridiculous. Dad's always receiving and publishing the latest news about Crumple-Horned Snorkacks. For now there have been spotted just some vague footprints of them in Sweden – they're very ancient and legendary creatures. But he said he already had four of them at home. He's a jerk, that Rolf Scamander. I hope I don't have to see him again otherwise I'll tell him everything in detail what exactly I think about his four Snorkacks!"
When they had said goodbye to Luna, Harry and Ginny couldn't stop having fun on their way back, eventually starting to invent more and more names of the beasts that Luna could get offended about, for example, starting with the obvious one – Crumple-Kacked Snorhorn – and ending with brown and white Kack Rats.
Having just finished laughing out loud, they climbed in the hole behind the portrait of Fat Lady as they entered the Gryffindor Common Room. They spotted Ron and Hermione a second later, who had taken their seats at one of the tables and had spread their homework over it, studying hard.
Approaching them hand in hand with Ginny, Harry felt too overly cheerful, because his friends looked like they had just resolved a very difficult and complicated argument with a lot of compromising, which currently made them both very heavy hearted.
Harry and Ginny immediately joined their gloomy study group on behalf of their friendship, even though it was a really nice Saturday night. Harry read the text of the Patronus charm – Dawlish had promised them that they're going to study Patronuses soon and maybe some of them will succeed in conjuring up a speaking Patronus, then he reread about the particularly strong poisons that could be disguised as more common potions, and when he took the textbook about the Exploding Summer-Berry Bushes they had to tend now in Herbology, Ron stood up and announced that he's tired so he wants to go to bed.
Giving Ron a little bit time for himself, Harry politely waited a few minutes and then also excused himself to the girls saying that he was about to go to sleep, too. Of course, he was more worried about Ron's mood at the moment – whether there hasn't been damaged more than just a book this time.
Fortunately, the room looked as usual in general – nothing was shattered, the windows and beds were all in their place, only one redhead young man was lying in Ron's bed, staring particularly fixedly at the ceiling of the dorm room as he sighed heavily.
"Ron?" Harry asked very cautiously as he sat on the edge of his bed, keeping his gaze on his friend.
"Humpf, I'm really not in the mood to talk about it at all," Ron muttered quietly. Harry didn't answer him as he just sat in silence, but after a few moments the redhead added, "But I can't stop thinking about all this either." He pushed up and sat on the edge of the bed facing Harry, looking sad with his shoulders sagged.
"I even do understand that she's just such good, kind-hearted and compassionate person, and those are some of her qualities I love so much, but Hermione still lied to me. She said she did it because she didn't want to give me unnecessary worries. But now I really am worried. Every Saturday, she spent an extra hour with Malfoy, voluntarily. If anyone had tried to tell me such a thing earlier, I would say he has lost his marbles. But look at it now – everything changes with time. And what's next – will she come up with the fact that he's asked her on a date? First, it was Terry; now, Malfoy's drooling over my Hermione. Please, tell me, what do I need to do? I can't lose her," Ron finished gloomily, telling Harry all his inner pain.
Harry sighed deeply, too. "I'm definitely not the right person to give you any advice on girls," Harry said as he raised the corner of his lip in a sad grin.
Ron just sneered at it. "Please don't. I haven't seen such a happy couple as you both in my life. You're definitely doing something so that Ginny doesn't even make a single glance at other guys at all." Then his face showed an expression like he suddenly had realized something as he made a grim laugh. "Yes, of course, you're the great Harry Potter. Why should she turn her attention to others even for a little bit? But why would Hermione need me? I'm not as rich as Malfoy or as smart as Terry. It's just natural she wants someone better than me. I'm not a match for such a perfect girl like Hermione."
"Ron, I think you belittle yourself too much," Harry argued, having a feeling that his friend is on the verge of the crisis of low self-esteem again. "Hermione knows you're courageous, determined and tenacious, and I know she values these virtues much more than just a pile of gold or some witty flattering compliments. And that's why I value you so much as my best friend, because you are a humane person without trying to pretend to be a better person or you aren't trying ingratiating to anyone, but you always strive to act bravely and righteously."
Ron looked at his friend in confusion. "Do you really think about me like that?"
"Of course," Harry replied, giving him a smile, "it's just guys usually don't talk about such things, right?"
Ron made a weak laugh, too. "But they should."
"So everything is going to be fine," Harry reassured him.
"I hope you're right, but I'm still worried about the fact that Hermione didn't trust me enough to tell me it from the very beginning. So it means she actually isn't thinking about me so well." Ron sighed sadly again.
"Well, but at the beginning of the school year, you really did make a huge trouble practically out of nothing," Harry remarked to him.
"I suppose you're right. I made a really big fuss practically for no reason," Ron said, twisting his lip testily. "But I wonder why don't you look surprised about the fact that Hermione tutored Malfoy in their private lessons every Saturday for a whole hour? I may act foolishly sometimes, but the news truly was shocking," Ron asked suspiciously as he gazed intently at Harry.
Feeling awkward, Harry turned his gaze away. Suddenly he knew that Ron won't be pleased to hear that he had already knew it, and for so long time, but he definitely didn't want to lie to his friend. "You see, I was in shock, but… it was some time ago." Harry looked up again to see Ron's face.
Ron narrowed his eyes and tilted his head slightly. "What do you actually mean? Did you know that earlier?"
"Well, yeah. Hermione told me it sometime at the beginning of December," Harry confessed.
"At the beginning of December?" he asked in shock. "Wait a minute, so it means that the whole December, January and February – that is, for three whole months – you knew about her private tutoring lessons and you didn't find it necessary to tell me anything about it at all?"
"Hermione made me promise I wouldn't tell anyone," he excused.
"And Ginny? Did she know that?" the redhead asked angrily, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Erm, yes, but…" Harry tried to explain.
"Oh, then you could tell her, but when it comes to Ron, then let's leave the old Ron walking around like the utter idiot while his girlfriend spends an hour every week with another guy. Look, that's not what friends do," Ron reprimanded Harry.
"By the way, Ginny didn't learn it from me, but Hermione told her it herself," Harry said as he slowly started to lose his temper. "However, I think friendship means that you trust the other person, and if Hermione asked me not to tell anyone, it means I'm not telling anyone. Maybe you should start trusting Hermione. She only did help him with his studies; she wasn't secretly going on bloody dates or kissing someone!"
"And you tell me, how can I know what exactly was she doing in those private tutoring lessons if no one utters me even a half syllable about it? You could somehow make a hint about it to me, but no – not even a slightest sign about it," Ron said as he was getting more offended.
"What exactly do you mean? Maybe I should tell Hermione all our conversations, too? Would you want it to be like that?" Harry retorted.
Ron was confused for a moment, but then he growled in a low voice, "You know what? It's not worth talking to you anymore. This is not the thing friends do to each other. And that all your shit about how humane, brave and tenacious I am – I really believed you – but as an important situation arises, then you switch to the mode like: Oh, better let's keep the old fool Ron out of it, so he won't mess everything up."
"Ron, I didn't say anything like that and I definitely don't think like that. I'll repeat it again: Hermione asked me not to tell it anyone, and I didn't tell it anyone. If you are accusing me for keeping my promise to her, so be it," Harry retorted angrily.
"So be it," Ron repeated equally angrily like he had come to some kind of a conclusion. "If you don't tell me anything, I might as well stop talking to you at all," he said.
Harry looked at his friend taken aback. "You are not serious, are you?" Harry asked in disbelief, but Ron was just lying stiffly on his bed now, staring at the ceiling.
"I'm not talking to you anymore. That's all," Ron simply said.
"Well, if it pleases you. Just let me know later when you have calmed down and started behaving like a proper person," Harry said to his friend, and a second later he pulled the curtains close and climbed back on his bed, while Ron was still stubbornly silent.
Harry changed into pajamas and slipped under the sheets, but he couldn't fall asleep for a long time as his unpleasant conversation with Ron still raced through his mind. Though, he couldn't blame himself after all – Hermione was his friend, too. Although she wasn't his girlfriend, but she's always been to him like an older and smarter sister, so was he really that obliged to break the promise made to Hermione in favour of Ron? Actually, what's the point of promising someone not to tell the secret, if you are obliged to tell it to someone else? And there truly has nothing awful happened. He could agree with Ron, if it really would be a matter of Hermione cheating him, but now? Gradually falling asleep, he indeed hoped that Ron will calm down soon and everything will be back to normal. He just overreacts about everything when considering Hermione.
The next morning dawned sunny, and one could finally feel the spring freshness in the air, which now began to replace the icy coldness of winter. The same could not be said about the seventh-year boys' dormitories. It seemed Ron could be able to cast the Freezing Charm with only his glance as he went out of the boys' dorm room after having fully dressed.
However, Harry didn't even think about chasing after him trying to awkwardly apologize – let him be angry with him, after a while he'll come to his senses and it'll be over just like that. If he wants to tiff, then Harry was going to let him do so.
Harry also dressed quickly, washed his face and went downstairs partly hoping that Ron would have headed for breakfast. But the red-haired young man was still sitting on the couch and looked around angrily, obviously waiting for Hermione.
Harry gathered his courage up and sat down on a chair in front of his friend – he was sure Ginny was about to come downstairs soon, too, and the other students were preparing themselves for their Sunday activities, not paying much attention to them.
"Good morning," Harry said insistently to Ron, but he just sneered angrily and turned his head away like having been very interested in a group of fourth-years. "So you're not going to talk to me, hm?"
"Exactly," he just blurted, turning his head towards the stairs to the girls' dormitories, where Hermione had now appeared.
While she was still descending, Harry tried to start the conversation, "And how long are you going to be mad at me? I already explained it to you yesterday."
"What exactly did you explain? That you are a bad friend? You know what, stay here and try to stab someone else in the back," Ron said furiously, looking at Harry. "Let's go, Hermione," he said as he took his girlfriend's hand and started pulling her toward the exit hole of the Common Room.
Harry sighed distractedly and as he looked at the girls' stairs, he saw Ginny at the top of them. She had heard her brother's anger in their conversation quite clearly a moment ago. Having stepped downstairs, she gazed at Harry questioningly and asked, "What kind of disagreement you both have?"
Harry sighed heavily again and began to tell Ginny in low voice about his yesterday's unpleasant conversation with Ron. He needed to keep his voice as quiet as possible, because it seemed the most of the younger students was all ears whenever there was brewing a sensation about their four, and Ron boiling with anger is definitely going to be a delicious mouthful for their gossiping fans to discuss at least for a whole week.
Adding that Ron had looked as annoyed in the morning as he was yesterday's night, Harry finished retelling everything to Ginny. He supposed that Ron and Hermione had already gone in safe distance, so Harry and Ginny started on their way to breakfast.
As they climbed out of the portrait hole of the Fat Lady, Ginny expressed her thoughts, "You know, Hermione and I spent a lot of time yesterday discussing all this mess with Ron. It really didn't turn out well, but honestly, I didn't expect him to be so terribly angry with you. Although, on the other hand, he was unusually understanding towards Hermione, so I suppose he needs to dump out his anger somewhere else. Hermione told me yesterday that she had explained him everything carefully, and he had even listened to it calmly and acted tolerantly. Without any shouting or reproaching."
"It sounds to me everything will be all right. Then we just have to wait when he'll calm down," Harry said almost happily. Ginny's reply was more gloomily.
"I don't know if it's going to be that simple," Ginny said, explaining herself when he looked at her questioningly, "Hermione said she's quite worried about this Ron's strange calmness. And I agree with her, because you know how Ron usually behaves – if something goes wrong, he gets mad, pours out his anger somehow, calms down and then everything is all right again. But such a deceptive calmness – Hermione and I suspect that she has broken something inside of him with this secret."
"Yesterday he went postal on me for us pushing him away and never telling him anything. Do you really think it's that bad? It's not at all like that he's always the last to learn everything. It was only this time, and Hermione herself asked us not to tell him anything," he pondered as he wasn't sure what to think about of all this and how to treat his friend who thinks he's mortally offended by them.
"Yeah, but he truly has a reason to be angry. And I guess it's because he doesn't want to be mad at Hermione, so he pours it all over your head," she replied as they turned down to the big stairs.
"A reason? That I don't break promises made to others?" Harry sneered.
"I didn't say the reason was very sensible," Ginny said with a grin.
Thus they kept discussing the conflict with Ron as they stepped down to the Great Hall. Ron and Hermione sat somewhere about in the middle of the table, so Ginny and Harry decided to sit a little further away of them. It'll be better if he won't tickle that dragon.
As they began eating breakfast while chattering with Dean and Seamus, they noticed here and there suspiciously muted whispers instead of the usual chatter along the table. Harry had an ominous feeling that during these whispers were generating the most insane versions of the reason for his argument with Ron.
"Hey, guys!" Lavender greeted them as she sat down to join their company with a happy smile. "It's so cool we can have daylight in the morning. I like the spring time. After the cold winter, spring makes my mood a lot happier."
They all replied to her greeting as they ate their breakfast.
Suddenly Lavender turned to Harry, "Listen, Harry, what actually happened to you and Ron yesterday? This morning, the whole Common Room was on the pins and needles when discussing the fact that you both had an argument about something."
Harry barely suppressed a sad smirk – of course, there had passed less than five minutes and the news had already spread throughout Hogwarts that he and Ron had an argument.
Harry wasn't considering revealing the true reason of their argument to his classmates and it was the last thing he needed – to give Lavender a new material for rumour about Hermione, Ron and Malfoy. It was already enough that Lavender suspected that Hermione had helped Malfoy once with something, and if she found out that Hermione had done it every Saturday… But he had to feed some excuse to Lavender, otherwise she's going to make something up herself, and that could be God knows what if she'll sense that there really could be a secret hiding under all of this.
"Eh, I said something he didn't like," finally he said evasively, without giving any credible explanation.
Of course, Lavender just raised an eyebrow at it. "Can guys get offended by such things at all? I thought that the friendship for them is over when they start a fist fight," she laughed, but then a second later her smile faded and she added, "But seriously, what could you possibly tell him such that Ron felt so terribly offended?"
The awkward moment of silence stretched for a few seconds as Harry desperately tried to come up with a plausible excuse. In addition, Dean and Seamus were silent, too, as they were all ears, though they desperately tried not to be very obvious in their eavesdropping. Then Ginny quickly helped him, rushing to save the day before the situation has become even more difficult.
"It wasn't anything that serious," she began. "Lavender, you know Ron a bit, so at the last Quidditch practice, he let the last Quaffle fly past him in the goal as he made a clumsy move. I and Harry both laughed a bit about it later, but it happened so that he heard it and got angry with us."
"Yeah, I know, Ron was very sensitive towards Quidditch. It was practically the only thing he was willing to talk to me about when we were dating," Lavender said, right away believing Ginny's lies.
However, Dean wasn't that easy to deceive; besides, he was a reserve player attending the trainings of the Gryffindor Team now and then, so he knew quite well what was going on in them. "He got mad at you about that last clumsy catch? Now his play is rather acceptable, and those awkward jumps are so rare that they aren't even really funny anymore. Seriously, what exactly did he get mad at you now?"
"He got mad at us because now was the time when we laughed about it," Harry replied grimly, acting along with Ginny. Dean didn't have any more questions, because everyone knew that Ron could be hurt very quickly by such comments about his Quidditch skills.
"Well, typical boys," Lavender added with an amused smirk. "Boys practically argue only about two things – Quidditch and girls."
"Is it really that bad?" Dean asked Lavender, making his voice a little bit theatrical.
"Of course, it is! And if there were no women in the world to tell you how the things has to be done, I really think men couldn't handle even the most elementary things in their lives," Lavender said boldly.
Seamus replied to her, "And it's our pleasure and joy to let the weaker and fairer sex think so." Everyone laughed at it.
The conversation turned to the boy and girl relationship, luckily for Harry turning away from the slippery topic of Ron, and Harry suppressed a sigh of relief.
Ron kept his word and indeed didn't talk to Harry, and if there really was such a need, he turned to Ginny, having gritted his teeth. Harry didn't feel too annoyed about it as he remembered well his fourth year at Hogwarts, when Ron was also mad with him, since he thought that Harry was not telling him something and was just wanting to get all his fame for himself, until Ron was finally done his tiffing and had resumed talking to him, ending their silly telephone game through Hermione. Moreover, this time Harry didn't feel guilty about his "abuse", too.
In addition, Ron's determination to remain silent as he completely avoided him had brought him some benefits, since their four had now turned into two pairs, which meant he not only could, but even had to spend much more time with Ginny. And knowing what a cheerful and witty spirit she has, they both always enjoyed their time together for whatever they did.
So on Thursday, when the weather was especially nice and sunny, they had both occupied a niche in the Middle Courtyard of the castle since the end of the Transfiguration class of Switch half an hour ago as they studied Flitwick's list of N.E.W.T. level charms and spells. Harry was currently struggling with the Golden Spark Rain Charm, which he needed to cast amplified and nonverbally. In the simplest version of the charm, it could be performed by any first-year, because the charm was basically casting a few golden sparks, but to turn a jet of some weak sparks into a strong and impressive shower of sparks was more difficult, and doing it without uttering a syllable was even more complicated.
"Harry, take a break," Ginny whispered softly, tapping to his arm, "you've inflated your cheeks like a bullfrog in our backyard pond."
Harry smiled as he obeyed her and then noticed a strange, amused grin on her face. She pointed with head to something behind the corner. Apparently a bunch of girls had gathered there, discussing something lively.
"Are you really sure he told Ron that? To our dear Ron?" a girl indignantly spoke.
"I'm telling you – I heard it from Millie, who heard it from Tracy, and she learned it from the very Lavender Brown in person!" a second girl claimed strictly as postulating an indisputable truth.
"So it's really true that Harry Potter has insulted and mocked Ron in front of the whole Quidditch Team. But he really plays so well and three years ago our house won the Quidditch Cup only because of his talent. Even now some people are still singing "Weasley is Our King"," the third girl said outraged.
"You know, if someone would attack me for nothing, I would feel terribly offended, too," the first girl announced. "Does that Potter even think?"
"But do you really think Harry Potter could make fun of his best friend in front of the whole Quidditch Team? Something doesn't sound right about this," the fourth girl thoughtfully objected.
"Mandy, think about it – you heard what Trelawney predicted in September," the second girl said. "She announced right away that she had Seen with her inner Eye that we all are fallen asleep on the glory of victory, but the evil is still lurking around or even stands among us."
"Switch also told us that Divination was a rather inaccurate field of magic," the fourth girl objected. "Besides, she didn't say it had anything to do with Harry Potter. All these horrors in the Daily Prophet about werewolves and Lestrange, and that misfortune of our Head Girl with the Fiendfyre of the Room of Requirement; I think these evils are big enough, so we don't need to come up with new conspiracy theories against Harry Potter."
"Inaccurate field of magic?" the third girl asked. "And how about that cup, which Bill broke in the first lesson? She saw it immediately and unmistakably. And Professor Trelawney exactly said that evil stands among us. In addition, there has long been a rumour about Potter that he's not at all that holy. How then could he have defeated You-Know-Who if he wouldn't be as equally strong as him? And the ability to speak Parseltongue – do I need to say more? And now, guided by his selfishness, he acts in such a way against our good and fair Ron. And who knows the true reason of what exactly happened to Hermione Granger during the Christmas holidays. Melanie and Kate said they had sneaked past Potter, but what if he wanted to let them go by? So to say – to watch the show?"
"Really? That sounds like complete rubbish," Mandy objected.
The first girl advocated her friend, "Not at all! Isn't it obvious that Potter is slowly getting rid of his trusted friends? Besides, look at how well is he getting along with Malfoy. I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out he's taken him as his right hand. I'm telling you, good people don't act that way. Besides, why he always looks so gloomy and resentful? Has he ever stopped to just talk to us? Not even mentioning the autographs. He had sent away Sandy so rudely that the poor girl had cried every night on her pillow for a whole week. On the other hand, you can always ask Ron if you get lost, or at least he speaks to us, telling some stories."
"Mhm, and I wonder how do you – a third-year girl – could get lost in Hogwarts?" the second girl asked. Other girls laughed at that.
Then a bell rang for the third lesson, and the girls' conversation stopped for second, and then a moment later, they left, unaware that Harry had heard every word they had spoken.
Harry looked at Ginny in disbelief with a questioning look – say, what exactly this entire thing meant?
She just rolled her eyes at that. "Meh, you know, those Hogwarts girls' gossip tends to be absolutely abnormal, and they usually change every few hours. But these four girls seemed to be from the so-called conspiracy club, whose members are strengthening themselves in the belief that you strive to become the next Dark Lord. The funniest thing is that they use Skeeter's writings in the Daily Prophet as their main source of information and you know it very well that there can be learned more content in the barking of Hagrid's Fang than in her smearing kind of articles."
Harry laughed at the apt comparison. But his mind was still restless for some reason, and somehow it seemed to have little to do with the fact that those girls had practically proclaimed him for the next Dark Lord – it wasn't anything new or unheard of. He didn't want to be even more popular, and if people thought of him as an unkind and rude person and that was the reason why they didn't bother him, so then he was satisfied with it. However, he felt there was something disturbing in that conversation that made him anxious for some time.
As the weekend approached, Hermione had desperately tried to talk Ron into joining Harry and Ginny.
"And this time I even won't insist on repeating the Golpallott's laws or nonverbal Transfiguration spells, even though the N.E.W.T. exams are not very far away," she said as she tried to persuade Ron to sit at the next table with Harry and Ginny in the Gryffindor Common Room. "I mean, I would be very happy if both of you could reconcile. Maybe you would like to play chess with Harry? He's missing you, too."
Harry appreciated her smart move to offer a chess game, because it was well known that Ron was the best chess player of four of them, in addition, they wouldn't need much to talk during the game, but at the same time it would be an activity involving both of them.
But Ron didn't accept it neither on Friday, nor on Saturday or Sunday night, no matter how kind did she ask him. He had begun to spend more and more time with Neville and occasionally gave Hermione some flowers. It seemed he treated Hermione like a queen, but Harry he didn't want to see anywhere near him at all. Harry could only sigh heavily about it – no matter how nice and enjoyable his time with Ginny was, but without Ron, his everyday life somehow seemed empty and monotonous, as if he had lost some part of himself.
The next week began, bringing an unexpected wave of aggression and fights. Harry and Ginny noticed that with each passing day, Ron and Hermione returned to the Common Room later, tired of their Head Girl and prefect duties: they had to prevent duelling, had to keep the younger students safe, and had to confiscate dangerous items, including George's summer hit, Gryffindor Swordpencils. Unfortunately, Harry hadn't been able to catch Hermione alone to ask her anything about it, but Ron, of course, was silent as the grave. Though, on Wednesday morning, before the usual Alchemy class, he was finally enlightened by Ginny, who had managed to talk to Hermione in the girls' dorms the night before.
She had learned that Hermione and Ron spent their entire time dealing with the duelling between the young Slytherin and Ravenclaw students. The reason for their fights was more than obvious – at the weekend, on Saturday, was planned the next Quidditch match Ravenclaw versus Slytherin. The students were overly eager for their favourite sport as they had survived the long non-Quidditch winter season, so everyone in the castle was talking and speculating only about the skills of the players of the teams of both Houses now. Ginny said she hadn't heard a single word of Harry and Ron in the girls' toilets for at least two days.
The sport passion was indeed high. Even Harry began to feel the pleasant excitement of the upcoming game, although their match versus Hufflepuff was scheduled a month later – at the end of April.
In the middle of all this spring madness, Harry had a pleasant surprise the next evening. Hermione came to him and suggested that Ron would like to play a chess game with him. Longing for his friend, Harry agreed without hesitation, hoping that maybe they could restore their friendship soon.
Harry sat down at the game board in front of Ron, taking his place at the end of the black pieces, and so they started the game, quietly commanding their chess pieces, but meanwhile Hermione went over to Ginny and sat next to her, trying secretly watching them. When Ron had aimed his bishop and queen on Harry's pawn close to his black king, he made an unskilful move with his knight, putting it at the very edge of the board. Ron knew well that he always won Harry if their game had such a position, so he looked at him and said gloomily, "Was that on purpose or what?"
"Maybe on purpose, maybe not. Everyone knows you're the best chess player. I can't win you anyway," he admitted.
"It sounds like a wonder to hear such a thing from you," the redhead said angrily. "However, I heard you consider me a bungler in Quidditch."
Harry barely suppressed his laugh. "Listen, Ginny and I had to come up with something plausible to that gossip girl, Lavender," he explained.
Hearing this, Ron showed neither joy, nor understanding.
He moved his pawn forward to attack Harry's knight.
"You know, Ginny and I just thought the story of Quidditch would seem the most plausible. Besides, Ginny and I heard the third-year girls condemning me strongly for criticizing your Quidditch skills. And they considered you the greatest Quidditch player in the history," Harry said with a grin.
"Really?" Ron asked, interested, seemingly forgotten for a second that he felt gravely offended by Harry.
"Really, it's true," Harry confirmed. "And considering how much time you and Hermione spend with all the Slytherin and Ravenclaw fights, it seems that people take Quidditch very seriously here."
"They take it even too seriously as Hermione keeps reminding me," Ron agreed as he shot a glance to his bushy-haired girlfriend, who was quietly talking with his sister. "Like some kind of devil makes them do it."
Hearing his last by the way added remark, a chill ran over Harry's spine and he suddenly remembered the conversation of the girls he had heard a week ago: "Trelawney had Seen that we all are fallen asleep on the glory of victory, but the evil is still lurking around or even stands among us." Harry right away told Ron about it, each of them making a few more moves with their chess pieces, inevitably bringing Harry closer to his defeat.
"The evil standing among us – I don't understand what exactly you're so surprised about," Ron said simply. "Isn't this the reason why we are here, because You-Know-Who is wandering somewhere around here?"
"Ron, but we and Hermione have already discussed this through and through that we could be sure at least about one thing that he can't be at Hogwarts. Most likely, he's lurking somewhere in the Forbidden Forest or residing at the Shrieking Shack," he reminded his friend.
"What exactly did you expect me to say, then? And since when you take Trelawney's nightmares seriously?" Ron said testily.
"Well, yeah, but somehow it seemed so frighteningly true. I can't tell what exactly it was. It was just such a dreadful feeling when I heard it," he tried to explain.
"And I can only repeat it to you that the direct meaning of the 'evil" is 'You-Know-Who'. Maybe he isn't walking through Hogwarts corridors in our midst, but that doesn't mean he can't stay here somewhere inside of the castle," he claimed.
"But the castle has been searched all over by the Aurors and McGonagall herself all summer long, and so far nothing unusual has been noticed here in the regard of Voldemort," Harry objected as he made his last desperate move before losing.
"Well, of course, what does an old fool Ron know? He can't listen or behave, and his thoughts aren't worth even a single Knut," he said angrily. Then he gave the command for his queen to make his last move. "Checkmate."
Acknowledging his defeat, Harry pushed over the black king with his hand. "Ron, that's not true, and you definitely aren't a fool."
"But somehow you try to show it in a weird way, my friend," he added venomously. Then he got up and just walked over to Neville, who diligently wrote an essay for Professor Sprout about the plants with healing properties.
Harry pursed his lips and crossed his arms over his chest – so far Ginny had proved to be right. It wouldn't be that easy to fix their friendship this time, because Ron wasn't willing to end his self-proclaimed war in the regard to their friendship.