After Harry had congratulated Lupin on being named the new headmaster of Hogwarts, he was approached by Arthur Weasley.
"Harry, would you follow me to the Room of Requirement? I'd like to ask you a few questions. "
"Yes, Mr. Weasley, " replied Harry and he walked up to the Room of Requirement with Mr. Weasley.
Once they were inside, Mr. Weasley looked Harry in the face as closely as he could without making eye contact and said, "Harry, I noticed when I came here yesterday that Ron was not with you, Hermione, and Ginny. Is something wrong between you and Ron?"
Harry's face darkened and a menacing growl emitted from his mouth.
"That asshole is no longer my friend after the horrible way he treated Hermione last Thursday. Ginny supports my decision to eject Ron from my life, " said Harry fiercely.
Can I see the memory of Ron mistreating Hermione that caused you to severe ties with him?" requested Mr. Weasley.
"Absolutely, " said Harry firmly, "As a parent, you have the right to know if your child isn't behaving in a manner that you would have raised him or her to be."
Harry and Mr. Weasley stepped into the pensive and they watched Harry's memory of Ron shaking bedsheets in Hermione's face and yelling at her in front of whole common room.
Mr. Weasley was a bit stunned at what he saw and by the time the memory had ended Mr. Weasley was furious.
"I RAISED MY CHILDREN BETTER THAN THAT!" screamed Mr. Weasley.
When Mr. Weasley had calmed down, he said, "Harry, thank you for ending your friendship with Ron, Ron doesn't deserve friends if that's how he's going to treat them.'
"Exactly, " agreed Harry at once, "True friends don't shake materials in the faces of their friends. True friends don't yell at their friends and especially not in as public a setting as the Gryffindor Common Room. True friends don't take their own personal problems out on their friends,"
"I could not have said it better myself, " said Mr. Weasley clearly, "Harry please remain in this room while I go fetch Ron, once I've returned, then you may leave."
Harry did as he was told. When Mr. Weasley returned, Harry returned to the common room while Mr. Weasley took Ron into the Room of Requirement.
"Ron, " said Mr. Weasley once they were inside, "You are a disgrace to the family, and I am ashamed to have you as a son."
"Where did that come from?" asked Ron, who looked and sounded more confused than shocked.
"I noticed yesterday you weren't with Harry, Hermione, and Ginny when I responded to Ginny's owl. I asked Harry if there was something wrong between you and him. He stated that he had ended his friendship with you because of how horribly you had treated Hermione last Thursday. At my request, Harry showed me a memory of the episode in question. You shook bedsheets in Hermione's face, yelled at her in front of whole common room, and took your own personal problems out on her. I raised you better than that, " replied Arthur angrily.
Ron said nothing.
"First, " said Mr. Weasley, "You must be punished. "
And Mr. Weasley took his right hand and spanked Ron as hard as he could three times.
"In addition to the spankings you just received, I have talked with the new headmaster. Professor Lupin has agreed to ban you from all of this year's remaining Hogsmeade visits and you will serve a detention on the day of the Quidditch Final by coming to the Room of Requirement where you spend the time of the match by yourself. Professor Lupin will come up and dismiss you after the match is over. Now, If Harry, Hermione, and Ginny choose to accept you as a friend again, I won't interfere because it's not my place to do so. But I sincerely hope they don't. I hope Harry, Hermione, and Ginny never speak to you or hang out with you ever again."
Ron just stood speechless.
Finally, Ron settled on saying, "But Colin and Ginny made up."
"That was different, " said Mr. Weasley matter of factly, "Colin had been through a traumatic experience and was reacting emotionally. It just took him some time to get over that. As a parent, the way Colin apparently acted towards Ginny for much of this year does bother me and I know Ginny was very deeply hurt by it. But it is true that Ginny did petrify Colin last year although it was absolutely not her fault. Collin's behavior, though hurtful, was at least understandable. The way you treated Hermione is indefensible by every known standard. Now that Colin and Ginny have rectified, and since Ginny became closer with Harry and Hermione when she and Colin were on the outs, I sincerely hope that Colin and Ginny become closer with Harry and Hermione and that they form somewhat of a quartet."
Ron said nothing and Mr. Weasley warned him, "If I hear about another incident like this, you will be pulled from Hogwarts, do you understand?"
"Yes, " said Ron sulkily.
"Then go away and get out of my sight, " finished Mr. Weasley.
Ron walked away and went to his dorm room and went to bed early.
Back in the common room, Colin Creevey was making a proposal.
Colin, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny were sitting in armchairs by the fire when Colin piped up.
"Hey, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, you realize that we are allowed to leave Hogwarts for the Easter holidays?"
"Yes, " chorused Harry, Hermione, and Ginny simply.
"Well, I know my parents are muggles and I live in a muggle house. But I would like to invite you three to spend the Easter holidays with me. I already have mon's and dad's approval as well as McGonagall's and Lupin's, so you just have to accept or decline. This would cover the whole Easter holiday period. I should warn you that we only have one spare bedroom. Harry, we would let you sleep in that room and have a proper bed. But, Hermione, Ginny, you two would have to sleep in sleeping bags. Be warned of that before you decide whether to accept."
"What would Easter actually be like at the Creevey's?" asked Harry.
"On Easter day itself, In the morning we would wake up to Easter baskets and spend a good part of the morning having an Easter egg hunt. At dinner mom and dad always make a big ham dinner for Easter. There would also be a big surprise in the afternoon. Holistically, I'm excited for this opportunity to have my friends visit me for the Easter Holidays, that is, should you three accept the proposal."
"I'm all in, " said Harry.
"Me two, " smiled Hermione.
"Me three, " grinned Ginny.
"Okay, I look forward to having you three.' smiled Colin.
Mr. Weasley, who had followed Ron back to the common room before Ron went up to bed, smiled.
"Excellent, " said Mr. Weasley brightly, causing Colin, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny to look up at him.
"I had both hoped and sensed after your reconciliation with Colin that you and Colin would become closer with Harry and Hermione. I'm pleased to see my daughter have some really good friends." Mr. Weasley told Ginny with a smile.
"And we're lucky to have her as a friend too, " smiled Harry as Hermione and Colin nodded.
"And, " piped up Harry, "In other news, Jimmy is no longer cracking corn and I do care."
Arthur, Colin, Hermione, and Ginny burst into a fit of giggles.