Another day at Hogsmeade.

RON VII

Ron ate with appetite this Sunday morning. It was their last day at Hogwarts before Christmas, but it was as if the holidays had come early. Today was another trip to Hogsmeade. And this time, Harry would be with them.

His best friend was sitting between him and Hermione. In front of them, Dean and Seamus were discussing the upcoming qualification matches before the Quidditch World Cup. Like always, Dean was enthusiastic, but he ended up comparing the selection methods for Quidditch to those in the football leagues. Harry, who played football himself during summers, had tried more than once to explain to Ron the principles of the Muggle sport, but Ron couldn't manage to find it interesting. While Hermione read something about Arithmancy, the conversation evolved in a way where Ron and Seamus argued over whether it should be England or Ireland that should reach the finale, while Harry and Dean discussed something they called the Champions League, coming to argue about their respective favourite teams whose, West Ham for Dean, Liverpool for Harry.

"Don't you ever get tired of arguing about who is going to win? Or who is the best player?" Hermione asked them later as they walked out of the Great Hall towards the entrance.

"I thought your parents were football fans?" Dean asked her. He and Seamus followed them behind.

"Yes, they are. But they don't spend all their breakfast talking about it."

"Even when Manchester United reaches the finale of the Champions League?" Harry asked, sounding skeptical.

"It never happened. At least, not since my birth," Hermione replied.

To Ron, what they talked about what like Goblin language. But he understood well enough to say what he told next.

"So they're worse than the Chudley Cannons?"

Both Harry, Dean, and even Hermione looked at him with big eyes. "Ron, an advice, never say that in front of someone who grew up among Muggles," Dean warned.

"Why?"

"Because the odds will be great that you end up with a broken nose," Hermione answered, rolling her eyes in the process.

"Some football fans are just as crazy as Quidditch fans," Harry offered as an explanation.

Ron shrugged. They quickly went to another topic, discussing what they would visit this time at Hogsmeade. Honeydukes and the Three Broomsticks remained necessary stops. Both Harry and Hermione wanted to go to the local bookstore, so Ron would have to tag along, but Zonko was also on their list for today.

The beginning of this trip had a dark note when they were forced to walk in a zone where the effects of the Dementors could be felt. They didn't see them. After the match between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, Dumbledore said that additional measures were put into place to ensure the Dementors would never come close to them. Despite this, Ron clearly felt the despair take him, and he watched Harry closely, afraid that his friend might fall unconscious once more. At least, if he did, he wouldn't make a several dozens feet fall.

Ron sighed in relief when they were out of the zone patrolled by Dementors. It was winter, but the air seemed hot in comparison to what the Dementors caused. Harry seemed alright.

"When are these lessons with Professor Lupin going to start? Those when he will teach you to fight Dementors?" Ron asked him.

"Only after the holidays. Remus has no time before that."

"Tell him to teach you quickly. This way, the next time we go to Hogsmeade, you can send these things away when we leave through the portal."

"Harry is not going to learn to fight Dementors for fun, Ron. It's only so he can get rid of them when he's in danger," Hermione said on a lesson giver tone.

"It's also so that I have a way to repel them if they show up again at the next match," Harry said.

Hermione rolled her eyes, but Ron spoke before she could. "As long as it allows you to beat that Chinese girl," Ron said.

"She's not Chinese, Ronald. Her family comes from Korea, and she was born in England," Hermione pointed out.

"Whatever. She beat us in Harry's first year. It's time that we get our revenge."

"It happened two years ago. Don't tell me you still hold a grudge for that."

"The Quidditch Cup was ours that year. We lost it because of her."

"What did you want her to do? Not catch the Golden Snitch on purpose? If roles had been inverted and she was in the infirmary while Harry was playing, he would have caught the Snitch just like she did. You can't blame her for doing what any Quidditch player would have done."

"Hermione, you know lots of things on lots of things, but there are things in Quidditch that you will never manage to understand."

"Well, indeed, I will never understand why you hate a girl simply because she beat us in a sport. Especially after she was injured by Malfoy during the last game. I hope it's not because she's a girl."

Ron rolled his own eyes as they entered the tiny streets of the village. Really, Hermione understood nothing. This had nothing to do with the fact that she was a girl. He despised Malfoy and Diggory just as much for beating them.

"I have no problem with girls playing Quidditch."

"In this case, you should allow Ginny to play Quidditch with you during the next summer holidays," Harry commented, speaking for the first time.

"Really?"

"Yes. She…" Harry seemed to hesitate for a moment. "She told me last year that she loved flying. You remember, when the Hogwarts Express was immobilized."

"She told you that?"

Harry nodded, as if there was nothing unusual about it. Ron was surprised that Ginny was able to say something to Harry. Just like last year, she turned red like a tomato and her lips shut tight whenever Harry was nearby. And that was when she managed to stay in the same room than he was. So that she was able to say something personal to him surprised Ron more than anyone could have guessed.

"Sometimes, you should listen more carefully to your sister, Ron," Hermione said.

Ron groaned. "In case you didn't notice, Ginny doesn't tell me everything. And my brothers neither. I mean, Percy never told any of us he had a girlfriend. And Ginny spent a whole year hiding it from us when she discovered it. Not to mention she never told us about Tom Riddle's journal."

"Hey, Zonko is there," Harry pointed the sign. "Are you interested in something funnier than Voldemort's personal diary?"

Ron grimaced at the name, but both he and Hermione could only agree on the answer to this question. Ron didn't have much to spend, but he still bought a whole set of Sugar Quills under the disapproving stare of Hermione. She guessed, accurately, that Ron was going to suck it while faking to think during History of Magic. She shouldn't be angry at him over that. Maybe he could manage to not fall asleep during the lesson this way.

The morning was spent going from boutique to boutique. They used the opportunity to buy their Christmas presents, doing everything they could to hide them from each other. At Tomes and Scrolls, Ron thought he saw Harry looking at a book with strange scriptures on the cover. This was definitely not his Christmas present.

"By the way, do you think your mother is going to buy you a new broomstick for Christmas?" Ron asked Harry as they proceeded towards the Three Broomsticks with their bags in hand.

"I think so. I don't know which broom it's going to be though."

Ron was sad when Harry lost his Nimbus Two Thousand. His friend was very sad as well, of course, much more than Ron was. He was very impressed when Harry's mother gave him the newest Nimbus back in their first year. He hoped the surprise would be just as good this time. Harry said that nothing would ever replace his Nimbus Two Thousand, but Ron was certain that he could have something better now. He needed to, if they wanted to have a chance to defeat the Slytherins in the spring.

Despite the clear sky, this was a very cold day, and Ron was relieved when they joined the warm and crowded atmosphere of the Three Broomsticks. He noticed several Hogwarts students there and there, but also many other wizards and witches, and strange creatures neither Lupin nor Hagrid taught them about yet.

"Hey, Harry! Hermione! Ron!"

It was a slim boy with curly brown hair and a long face who waved at them. Justin Flinch-Fletchley had definitely come around since last year, when he thought Harry wanted to kill him.

"Hi Justin," Hermione answered for them as they approached the table where he sat. "Hi Hannah," she added for the pretty girl with blond hair who sat next to Justin.

"Hi Hermione. Harry, Ron. You're having a good day?" the girl asked them.

"Is it possible to have a bad day at Hogsmeade?" Ron asked. Justin laughed.

"I don't think so," the Hufflepuff boy replied. "Come on, sit with us. Ernie and the others are coming. They made a stop at the Post Office. Letters to send."

"Why do it at the Post Office?" Ron asked. "We have an Owlery at Hogwarts. Why not use one of the owls there?"

"Long distance." Before Ron's clueless expression, Justin clarified. "Ernie needed an owl who can travel long distances, and there aren't any at Hogwarts."

"But Hedwig, my owl, managed to carry Hermione's present for me from France this summer," Harry said. "There must surely be an owl at Hogwarts who can carry letters across the Channel too."

"Across the channel, maybe. But not across the Atlantic Ocean. Ernie's correspondent is in the United States. And not anywhere in the United States. He lives in California, in the west of the States."

"Oh, now that makes sense why he needs a more robust owl," Hermione exclaimed. "If the owl is to travel the Atlantic Ocean and the whole United States, especially if Ernie attached a parcel to it, then it needs not only to have enough endurance to travel the distance, but it must also be strong enough to face strong winds and eventual storms, and resilient enough to support various weathers, from the rainy England, the snow-covered south of Canada and the hot and dry California…"

"And who else accompanied Ernie to the Post Office?" Ron asked Justin, trying to bury Hermione's voice.

"There was Sally, Megan, Wayne, and Susan," he answered.

"They all had long distance letters to send?" Ron was surprised that so many people went to the Post Office.

"Not really. Susan had some letters for relatives in Canada. But the others were mostly tagging. Though I'm not sure if Wayne and Megan really went to the Post Office with them. They just… didn't come with us to the Three Broomsticks."

Justin's cheeks had taken a pink shade as he talked. This was no secret that Wayne Hopkins and Megan Jones were dating. It was Hannah who told them for the first, and not the last, time during a Herbology class earlier this year. And it was this same girl who spoke next.

"Leave them some space, Justin. They deserve some time alone. You'll need some one day, when you'll have a girlfriend."

Hannah's mischievous smile was accompanied by a reddening Justin, in a reaction Ron usually witnessed when Ginny was around Harry. Madam Rosmerta, the landlady of the pub, arrived at this moment, and Ron felt very hot on his cheeks, and his heart tumbling in his stomach.

"Hello, my dears. What can I get you for today?"

"Three Butterbeers," Hermione replied immediately, to Ron's regret who wished he was the one who answered.

"Make it ten," Justin then said. "We have friends coming."

"Very well. I'll bring this all to you soon."

She went back, Ron feeling disappointed for quite a moment as conversations continued. He was lost in his thoughts, staring at Madam Rosmerta while she filled tankards, when someone snapped her fingers in front of his face.

"Ronald!" Hermione's bossy voice brought him back to reality. "Hannah asked you something."

"Where were you, Ron? You looked as if you were in another world," the blond girl said at his attention, a small smile on her lips.

"I just think his mind was not at this table, but behind the counter." Ron saw Hermione's eyes travel to this very place. "Ron fancies her," she then whispered just loud enough for everyone to hear at their table.

"That's not true!" Ron burst immediately.

He looked at Hannah containing a laugh, while Harry seemed quite interested by his tankard all of a sudden, and Justin made round eyes before he looked somewhere else.

"Hey, Harry! Ron!"

Dean, Seamus and Neville chose the right moment to arrive at their table and sat down. "You saw these new Acid Pops at Honeydukes," Seamus said. "They won't just burn a hole in your mouth. They're going to melt it."

"Cool! I've got to try these," Ron said, promising himself to look at them after they left the Three Broomsticks.

"Be careful, Ron," Hannah said. "Sally almost lost her tongue this morning when she tried one of these."

"I'll be careful," Ron shrugged it off.

"Are there still Chocolate Frogs?" Harry asked the other boys from Gryffindor who just arrived.

"Oh yes," Dean said. "There are plenty. Let's just hope some idiot doesn't overthrow the stand holding them, or else there will be another invasion of frogs inside Honeydukes just like last time."

Neville turned red. It was him who overthrew the stand at Halloween. Ron wasn't there to witness it, but it had been a great topic of conversation for several days.

"I think I'll go back to Honeydukes with you," Hannah said, addressing Harry, Ron and Hermione. "Now that I think about it, I'm trying to complete my collection of cards. Buying a few more might help."

Madam Rosmerta arrived at this moment with their ten Butterbeers. Justin asked for three more, since the arrival of Dean, Neville and Seamus would make their group larger. However, the order proved to be useless since only Ernie and Sally-Anne joined them in the end.

"Megan and Wayne went to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop," Ernie said as he took place. Hannah threw a look at Justin, saying she was right. "And Susan said she had something to do. She should join us soon."

They spent a good time discussing about various things: Christmas holidays, Hogsmeade, the courses they took this year, Quidditch… Ron ordered another tankard of Butterbeer, just like Ernie and Justin did. Hannah was wondering what took so long to Susan to come when the door of the pub opened. One by one, Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, Hagrid, and finally, to Ron's great surprise, Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, walked in and sat down at another table far from them.

"What is the Minister of Magic doing here?" Ron asked aloud. Everyone looked in the direction of the table where the portly man had taken place with three of their teachers. Madam Rosmerta seemed to be taking their orders.

"Perhaps he's removing the Dementors from Hogwarts?" Justin asked, a glint of hope in his voice.

"Who will protect us against Pettigrew then?" Hannah asked. Then her face lightened. "You think they might have caught him?"

"No way. The Daily Prophet would have written about it. It would be on the first page," Hermione said, looking intrigued by the presence of the Minister.

"Perhaps he just wanted to visit Hogsmeade," Harry suggested, taking another sip of his tankard.

"Or he wants to talk with Dumbledore," Neville said. "Apparently, the Minister consults him a lot."

Madam Rosmerta brought the teachers and the Minister their refreshments, then sat with them. They seemed to be talking with animation, but they were too far away for them to understand what they were saying. Ron shrugged and went back to discussing about Honeydukes with Hannah. The interest in the Minister's presence waned, everyone going back to normal discussions, even Harry who ended up discussing, once again, football with Justin and Dean. Strangely enough, Hannah joined their conversation, and seemed knowledgeable enough about this sport since Ron didn't understand most of what she said. The group finally left the pub together. The Hufflepuffs headed towards the Post Office, while Neville, Dean and Seamus went towards Zonko, and Ron went with Harry and Hermione to Honeydukes.

Ron noticed that Hermione didn't seem exasperated by him taking lots of sweets. Harry was taking a lot as well. He marveled at all the rows and jars of candies, lollipops, and sweets that were available. Ron had almost forgotten that Harry didn't really get the chance to visit Hogsmeade at Halloween. They only came back to Hogwarts late in the evening, with Fred and George who ran to catch up on them near the portal.

At dinner, they were all exhausted by their day. Even Ron, who never relinquished a good dinner, especially the one offered to students before they left for the Christmas holidays, didn't have much appetite, though he forced himself into eating a little of everything he found delicious. Fred and George, in comparison, seemed to truly enjoy their dinner, and kept poking Ron about the fact he ate too much while in Hogsmeade.

"That's odd. Hagrid hasn't shown up for the entire dinner," Harry said as they finished dessert.

"Really?" Ron looked at the staff table. Indeed, Hagrid wasn't there. He didn't remember seeing him of the whole dinner, but at the same time he didn't give much attention to the teachers while eating.

"Maybe he had work to do," Ron suggested.

"On a Sunday evening, and right before the holidays?" Harry asked, unbelieving.

"Maybe he was tired of the day," Hermione said, earning Ron's approval, who knew something about it.

"Hagrid? Tired?"

Normally, it was only Fred and George who said things simultaneously. This time, however, Harry's and Ginny's voices joined theirs. His sister, who sat with Percy next to Hermione, had listened to the whole exchange, but she turned red as soon as she realized she had spoken at the same time as Harry.

"He may be strong, but he's not tireless," Hermione insisted, even though Ron started to have doubts.

"Maybe we should go and visit him," Harry suggested.

"Out of the question!" Percy said categorically. "It's already very late. You'll be past the hour to wander in the corridors, even less outside the castle. Anyway, Harry, this is not a good idea for you to go out when it's dark."

"Why. Because of Pettigrew?"

"Exactly! Your safety is more important than anything."

Harry grumbled. "Pettigrew didn't show any sign of life since his escape. And he probably drowned himself while escaping Azkaban. Surely death seemed kinder to a coward like him than the Dementors."

Fred and George looked at each other with an uncertain smile.

"Harry, this is no joke. You don't go outside tonight," Ron's older brother at the table declared on a tone that was leaving no place to discussion.

"I hate to say that, Harry, but our big brother is probably right this time," Fred said, to everyone's surprise. Even Percy seemed to be taken aback.

"Wait for the morning, then we'll go visit Hagrid together," George said. "It's been some time since we saw him anyway."

Fred and George never offered to visit Hagrid with them. The Hogwarts Express left early next morning, and all of them would have to take it, but maybe they could find a few minutes just to say hello their friend.

On their way to the Gryffindor Tower, Harry seemed to want to say something, but he shut his mouth when he noticed that Fred and George, along with Percy, followed them closely from behind. It was only when they arrived in the common room that Harry took Ron and Hermione aside to talk to them in a ushed voice.

"I really think we should go visit Hagrid this evening."

"Harry! You heard what Percy said. You shouldn't leave the castle at night," Hermione whispered.

"You really think that Pettigrew is going to appear out of nowhere to kill me after four months without giving any sign of life?"

"Maybe not, but we can still go and visit Hagrid tomorrow morning."

"We will only have a few minutes if we do that, unless we want to miss the Hogwarts Express."

"Well, Hermione, it's true," Ron said. "We didn't even say hello to Hagrid at Hogsmeade, and it's been quite some time since we visited him. We just have to take Harry's cloak. No one will notice us."

"You remember how Hagrid reacted the last time we visited him in the evening?" Hermione pointed out to the night after their first class of Care of Magical Creatures, when Hagrid almost pushed them back inside the castle and out of his house.

"That's different. It's our last day before Christmas. Hagrid will not blame us for wanting to say goodbye before we leave."

"The only real danger out there are the Dementors, and they've stayed quiet since the Quidditch match. I don't think they will leave the gates because three students are wandering on the school grounds," Harry noted.

Finally, Hermione gave in. They waited for the common room to be almost empty, then they squeezed under Harry's Invisibility Cloak and left the common room when Percy walked in, probably returning from a patrol.

It was entirely dark when they walked outside, the hard snow creaking under their feet. It was colder than during the day, and Ron hoped they would be inside Hagrid's hut very soon. He was so eager to escape the cold that he was the first to knock at the door when they reached it. They waited, but no one answered. So Ron knocked again, without results.

"Perhaps he's out," Hermione suggested, looking around while staying under the cloak.

Ron glued his ear against the door, and he heard a muffled sound from the other side. "There's a weird noise. Perhaps Fang."

Ron knocked again, and the door finally opened. If they expected something, it was certainly not to find Hagrid with a swollen red face, tears falling in his beard.

"Who's there?" the gamekeeper asked, looking around, but seeming like he really wanted to know.

Hermione was the one who answered after some time. Ron was too much under shock to realize that Hagrid couldn't see them under the cloak. "Hagrid, this is us. We are under the Invisibility Cloak."

"Eh?"

Harry sighed and removed the cloak from all of them. Hagrid seemed confused for a moment. "What… What are you…"

"Hagrid, what's going on?" Harry asked.

Hagrid didn't seem to know what to do for a time. Then he made a movement of head, inviting them inside. They did so, and Fang came immediately to drool on Hermione's robe. Hagrid slumped into a big chair, and started sobbing.

"Hagrid, what is it?" Hermione asked.

He pushed a letter on the table towards her. Hermione seized it and read it aloud.

Dear Mr Hagrid,

Further to our inquiry into the attack by a Hippogriff on a student in your class, we have accepted the assurances of Professor Dumbledore that you bear no responsibility for the regrettable incident.

Ron wanted to punch himself onto the forehead. He had completely forgotten about it. He was angry about Malfoy faking an injury, then the defeat Gryffindor endured against Hufflepuff, in addition to his homework and courses that he completely forgot that Hagrid might be in trouble because of Malfoy's father. Still, this letter was a relief.

"Well, that's okay then, Hagrid!" he exclaimed.

However, Hermione raised a hand and continued to read.

However, we must register our concern about the Hippogriff in question. We have decided to uphold the official complaint of Mr Lucius Malfoy, and this matter will therefore be taken to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. The hearing will take place on April 20th, and we ask you present yourself and your Hippogriff at the Committee's offices in London on that date. In the meantime, the Hippogriff should be kept tethered and isolated.

"It is signed by all the governors of the school," Hermione completed.

"Oh." Ron had heard about this committee. His father told him about it. "But you said Buckbeak isn't a bad Hippogriff, Hagrid. I bet he'll get off…"

The visit to Hagrid really didn't take the turn they wanted. Harry had only wanted to wish a happy Christmas to Hagrid, and instead they ended up consoling him, reassuring him about Buckbeak, and speaking against Malfoy and his father, but Hagrid only looked better when they promised they would help him prepare the Hippogriff's defence.

They remained silent on their way back to the castle. But once they were back into the common room, empty at this hour, they sat in the armchairs.

"That's so unfair!" Ron burst. "It's all Malfoy's fault, that. Hagrid warned us to not insult a Hippogriff, and Malfoy did it anyway."

"I know! It's unfair!" Hermione raged. Ron was glad that they were of the same opinion. "But Hagrid may be right. Lucius Malfoy has a lot of friends at the Ministry. He'll do everything in his power to have Buckbeak's head."

"We should have told everyone the truth about last year and the Chamber of Secrets," Harry said. "He wouldn't be able to do anything then."

"Even if we had revealed the truth, Harry, Malfoy's got too many friends at the Ministry. He would have found his way out of it. You already did very good by removing Dobby from his service. At least, he's no longer on the Board of Governors."

"That didn't stop the Board from doing what he wanted," Harry said, seething. "Parvati's mother is member of the Board. Maybe we could ask her…"

"No, Harry. It's too late. You heard what they said in the letter. Buckbeak's matter is now in the hands of this Committee. The only way to save Buckbeak is to present a strong defence, to show that he wasn't in the wrong."

"Hagrid? Presenting a strong defence?" Ron asked, fearing that the odds were unfortunately against Buckbeak. "We better keep our promise and help him."

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Next chapter: McGonagall