AUTHOR'S NOTES: Chapter 27 is up and ready to be read! But a couple of things before you start...
1. Shout out to MMax, he let me use a personal character that he created! Thanks for the really fleshed out character, mate! Will use him more in the future!
2. A lot of inner monologues in this chapter, so be ready for that...
3. Which character do you want to see a POV of? I'm leaning towards Neville and Pansy for the next chapter!
Please enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter, and I do not intend to make any money off of this. Harry Potter is the intellectual property of J. K. Rowling , and I take no credit of it whatsoever.
I was also inspired by Demon Eyes Laharl's: THE RED KNIGHT! and also from Random-Fruitcake04's: CHOICES! I hope you check them out as well because they are genuinely very good stories.
Fate
Chapter 27 – To Become Stronger
Blaise Zabini's POV
Blaise ate his lunch quietly, as he usually did. He wasn't a fan of eating and talking at the same time, and he hated commotion on the dinner table. That was another thing he didn't like about Ron, his red-haired friend had a habit of starting disorder no matter where he was. But right now, Blaise was upset with Ron about a number of other things… Ron's constant preaching of morality was starting to wear thin on Blaise's nerves, Ron's secretive nature riled up Blaise's curiosity to no end, and now Ron was act snobbish and ignoring them all… He wants us to apologize to him and Granger, I have no doubt about that. I'd sooner lick Godric's feet… He needs to learn that his actions have consequences… Blaise felt his mood sour, and he lost his appetite. Why did Ron have to be so difficult?!
"He still isn't here..." Tracey said worryingly, she was looking around for Ron. "He never misses lunch…"
"Give it a rest, Tracey" Daphne muttered. And she's still in a foul mood… "If he's hungry, he'll come…"
"But he's always hungry" Tracey argued. "Something isn't adding up…" It never does with him.
"Guys" Millie said softly. "I'm tired of this ignoring business, let's just apologize already…"
"We didn't do anything wrong, Millie" Daphne said quickly. "He needs to apologize for his lack of thought about us when he went and cursed Draco…"
"He did the right thing" Tracey defended Ron hotly.
"And was it right to call us all cowards?" Theo asked, Ron's comment had hit a raw nerve of Theo's.
"He never said that" Tracey said stubbornly. "He told us that he wasn't a coward, that's it."
"You know damn well what he meant…" Daphne said with a dark look. Maybe you shouldn't have acted like a spoiled little brat… We were angry with him too for associating with those three, but you egged him on due to your own pathetic jealousy…
"I'm with Millie" Pansy piped in. "This has gone on long enough, nothing is being solved like this!"
"Blaise?" Theo asked, and Blaise looked at his childhood friend. "You're awfully quiet, don't you have any say in this matter?" Oh, I do…
"No" Blaise lied. "When he's ready to come back, he will… I'm not going to go begging for forgiveness when I didn't do anything wrong…"
"Fine…" Tracey spat out, she was getting annoyed with their stubbornness. "I'm done with this then… After lunch, I'm going to go find him…"
"I'll come with you" Pansy jumped aboard.
"Me too…" Millie piped in. Tracey looked to Daphne, and Daphne just huffed indignantly.
"Do whatever you want" Daphne said, there was venom in her voice. "It's what he always does…"
"You know what, Daph" Tracey started bitterly, and Blaise frowned. This is getting out of hand… Tracey was about to say something but the bell rang loudly, cutting her off and ending lunch.
Blaise got up and left the table, and then he was joined by the rest of his friends. Blaise could feel the tension in the group, and he didn't like it one bit. They needed to focus their attention on Draco instead, not on each other… Why couldn't anyone else see that?! Draco was acting extremely out of character, and now he had lifted his banishment from the Triumvirate as well... Something bad is coming, I can feel it in my gut! Blaise had tried to warn Ron before, but Daphne's venomous jealousy had ruined that. Maybe I should just swallow my pride and warn him anyway… It's what he'd do… Blaise frowned to himself when he thought about his friend's noble but naïve nature, why did Ron have to be so difficult?!
Blaise sat with Theo for their History of Magic Class, and Ron wasn't in the class. Where the hell is he? Professor Binns was taking the roll-call, and Blaise looked around the room once again. Theo, Millie, Pansy, and Tracey were also looking around for Ron, but Daphne was just glaring at an unsuspecting Granger. Draco was sitting behind Blaise and Theo, and he was looking more smug than usual… Blaise's gut twisted, something wasn't right! First lunch, and now a class? Ron, where are you?
"Mr. Weasley?" Professor Binns called. "Where is Mr. Weasley?" Everyone in the class looked around, and Blaise frowned.
"He isn't here, Sir" Draco replied innocently, and Blaise turned to stare at his former friend.
"Skipping class?" Professor Binns asked, he was talking to himself. "When you next see Mr. Weasley, tell him he has detention with me!" Draco's smirk grew wider.
"I will, Sir" Draco answered. Something is definitely wrong! Blaise turned to Theo, and his weedy friend had also reached the same conclusion. The class started after that, and once again, Draco started answering question after question… Blaise had immediately picked up on this strange new habit of Draco's, Blaise knew that his former friend was a lazy lout. So this new habit had taken Blaise by surprise, Draco was scheming something. Something against Ron, no doubt!
After the class ended, Blaise immediately followed after Draco. But Draco sensed Blaise on his trail, and the platinum haired boy sped towards their next class. Draco reached the Charms classroom before Blaise, and Blaise cursed his luck. He's done something, hasn't he? Why else would he run away like that?!
"Blaise, mate" Theo said as he caught up to Blaise. "What's your rush?" Blaise turned to Theo, and he noticed that the girls had also caught up.
"Draco… he's done something, I know it" Blaise told them. "He just bolted away from me…"
"Done something? To Ron?" Tracey asked, her voice was laced with concern. "I knew we shouldn't have left him alone! This is all your fault!" Tracey turned and glared at Daphne, taking the blonde girl by surprise. "This whole 'ignore Ron' thing was your idea!"
"Tracey, stop it" Theo said firmly. "Pointing fingers isn't helping…"
"What do we do?" Pansy asked Blaise, and they all turned to him. Shite… What would Ron do if one of us went missing? Probably tear the school apart in his search…
"We go to class, I need to talk with Draco…" Blaise said, and they all nodded slowly. We need to be subtle, I can't point fingers until I'm sure myself. Blaise then turned around and entered the Charms Class, and he approached Draco and Goyle. "Goyle, leave… I want to sit next to Draco." Goyle glared at Blaise, and Blaise cocked an eyebrow at the burly boy.
"It's alright Goyle, go sit with Crabbe" Draco ordered, and Blaise frowned internally. I was just like Goyle, wasn't I? Listening to his orders like some dog… Goyle mumbled some incoherent threat to Blaise, and then he left to go join his fellow ape. Blaise took a seat next to Draco, and they both faced the front of the class. "How are you, Blaise?" Draco asked casually.
"I'm doing well… How have you been?" Blaise asked, it was just good manners to exchange pleasantries.
"I'm doing great. Things are finally looking up" Draco replied, and Blaise could hear the smugness in his voice. "I've got my status in the house back, I'm no longer banished, and I'm topping Weasley in house-points."
"Congratulations" Blaise said dryly. That's his game? Topple Ron's standing within the house and with the Triumvirate?
"Thank you" Draco smirked. "Where is Weasley, by the way?"
"I was going to ask you that" Blaise replied flatly. "Care to enlighten me?"
"How would I know? I don't follow him around the school like some trained pup…" Draco said smugly, and Blaise clenched his jaw. I'm no lackey, Draco… Professor Flitwick finished calling the roll, and he too was upset at Ron's absence. "Two classes in a row?" Draco said innocently. "He is really losing his edge, isn't he? The Slytherin Prodigy…" Draco's voice was bitter.
"Jealousy doesn't suit you" Blaise smirked, and he knew he hit a nerve. Draco was as vain as they come, getting under his skin was easy as a result.
"Why would I be jealous of someone like him?" Draco asked, his voice was even more bitter now.
"Why wouldn't you be? He is everything you want to be" Blaise pushed on, and he felt Draco tense.
"Hmmm… I didn't want to be a Blood-Traitor the last time I checked" Draco retorted, doing his best to stay calm. He needed to act like his father would, he wasn't going to lose to the likes of Blaise Zabini. "How's your mother doing, Blaise?" Draco asked out of nowhere, and it jarred Blaise a bit. That's low… even for you…
"Quite well" Blaise answered calmly. "She is currently traveling through Asia with her soon to be husband…" Draco chuckled lightly at that, and Blaise's blood boiled in his veins.
"Send her my love the next time you see her" Draco said in a cold, cruel tone. "If you see her…"
"I'm only going to ask this once" Blaise gritted out, losing his composure and patience. "Where is Ron?"
"Sir!" Draco called out to Flitwick. "I'm trying to pay attention in class, but Blaise won't stop talking to me…" This little shite…
"Mr. Zabini, if you cannot stay quiet, then please move seats" Flitwick scolded, and Blaise smiled innocently at the short Professor.
"Sorry, sir… It won't happen again" Blaise apologized, this made Draco snigger silently. Damn arrogant bastard…
"Well, did he say anything?" Theo asked Blaise, and everyone looked to him.
"Nothing definitive" Blaise answered. "But he did allude toppling Ron's standing within Slytherin…"
"So we're back on this again…" Millie sighed. "I've already had my fill of this from last year." You and I both…
"Did he say where Ron was?" Tracey asked quickly.
"No…" Blaise replied dryly. They then walked towards the steps leading down to the dungeons, but they were stopped by two older Hufflepuff boys. Blaise immediately recognized one of them as Cedric Diggory. Cedric was a tall boy with chiseled, handsome features. He had dark brown hair, and bright grey eyes. The other boy was a bit shorter than Cedric, and he had light brown hair and hazel colored eyes.
"Can we help you?" Pansy asked Cedric.
"You're Ronald Weasley's friends, right?" Cedric asked with a pleasant smile.
"Yes…" Blaise answered slowly.
"Good, we finally found them…" the other Hufflepuff boy said with a smile. "My name is Max McDean, and this is Cedric Diggory. Ronald asked us to come and find you, he's in… he's in the Hospital Wing."
"Hospital Wing?" Daphne asked, her voice was a blend of surprise and worry.
"He… fell down some stairs…" Cedric explained lamely, and Blaise knew that the older boy was lying.
"Cedric…" Max muttered, but Cedric gave him a reassuring smile. They seemed to be talking without talking, clearly they were close friends. We need to go to the Hospital Wing…
"Thank you for telling us, now please… excuse us" Blaise said in his usual aloof voice, and then he walked past the two boys. The rest of the gang followed after Blaise, and they all marched on with a quick pace.
"We shouldn't have left him alone…" Tracey said, sounding like a broken record at this point.
"Did anyone buy that 'he fell down the stair' nonsense?" Theo asked, and everyone shook their heads. "Good… Those Hufflepuffs can't lie worth a damn…"
"What do you think happened?" Millie asked, and Blaise sighed.
"We'll find out soon enough" Blaise replied. They all entered the Hospital Wing, and they immediately spotted Ron on a bed. He seemed to be asleep, and they all approached him. The girls gasped in horror, while Theo and Blaise were stunned. Fell down the stairs, my arse! Those are bruises from a beating! Ron's face was black and blue, and his nose was a bit swollen as well. Madam Pomfrey seemed to have healed it, but Blaise was sure that it had been broken… Don't tell me Draco did this… That fucking idiot!
"Ahem" came a cough from behind them, and they all turned to see a frowning Madam Pomfrey. "He is not receiving any visitors yet! I haven't fully healed him yet!" Blaise frowned internally, why was she yelling at them?!
"Sorry, Madam Pomfrey" Theo said in a smooth voice. "We just heard… and we wanted to see our friend…" Nicely done Theo, as always… Madam Pomfrey's features softened a bit, and she sighed.
"He isn't well… He had quite the fall" Madam Pomfrey said, and Blaise could tell that even she didn't believe that garbage.
"Blaise… Theo…" came a raspy voice, and Blaise immediately turned to Ron. His red-haired friend groaned and shifted in his bed, and Blaise moved to his side immediately.
"Ron… what happened?" Blaise asked in a whisper, and he heard Madam Pomfrey move towards the Potions-closet in a rush. The girls moved to Ron's other side, their faces displaying their shock and worry. Blaise felt Theo hovering over his shoulder.
"It hurts…" Ron wheezed, he was trying to keep his blood-shot eyes open.
"I know, mate" Blaise muttered quickly. "What happened?"
"Malfoy…" Ron wheezed, and Blaise's blood boiled. "I told… them I fell… Lie… lie to everyone…"
"Don't worry, Ron…" Blaise gave a rare smile to his friend. "Just rest, alright?"
"I'm sorry…" Ron wheezed, he sounded like he was talking to himself at this point. "I'm sorry…" Blaise heard one of the girls sniffle loudly.
"Just rest, and heal up" Blaise instructed, and then he heard Madam Pomfrey approaching them.
"All of you need to leave, I need to heal him" Madam Pomfrey ordered, and they all slowly left the Hospital Wing. The moment they left the Hospital Wing, Blaise began marching down towards the Slytherin common room. Draco had to answer for this, Blaise needed to know why Draco would do something so stupid!
"Slow down, Blaise" Theo ordered, he sounded angry as well. "We need to plan before we do anything about this!"
"Plan?" Tracey scoffed. "You want to plan and play games? Did you not see what Malfoy did to him?!"
"Keep your voice down" Theo said firmly. "Ron told us keep lying for his sake."
"Why is he protecting Malfoy?" Millie questioned. At least she's thinking with her head... Blaise stopped moving, and they all stopped when he did.
"Theo's right…" Blaise admitted, he was trying his best to calm down. "We can't turn this into a bigger mess…" Blaise then turned to the girls, and he wasn't surprised to see Tracey, Pansy, and Daphne teary eyed. Millie just looked pissed…
"Blaise…" Theo started slowly. "You and I will talk to Draco about this, we need to know why he did this. Girls, you make sure that Ron's siblings believe that story… We can't let their Weasley temper poke holes into Ron's lie. Is everyone clear on their jobs?"
"I'll go talk to the Hufflepuff boys instead" Daphne said, rubbing her eyes clear. "They know more than they're letting on."
"Good" Blaise concluded. "Meet back at the common room in one hour." With that, they all split up.
"We need to talk" Blaise said firmly as he approached Draco and his bodyguards.
"We do?" Draco asked innocently.
"Don't play games, Draco" Theo gritted out. "We can do this out in public if you want… I'm sure the older students would love to know what you did…" Draco glared at Theo for a few seconds, and then he gave a curt nod. Good, at least he has some sense left in his brain… Draco and his bodyguards led Theo and Blaise into their dorm.
"Let's try and keep this civil" Draco said as he sat down in a chair.
"Civil?" Theo scoffed. "After what you did?"
"And what did I do?" Draco smirked, and Blaise clenched his jaw.
"Ron…" Blaise gritted out. "You took it too far… Why?"
"I have no idea what you're referring to, Blaise" Draco said innocently. "Crabbe, Goyle… What are they talking about?"
"I don't know…" Crabbe said with a poor imitation of Draco's smirk.
"No idea…" Goyle said, trying to stifle his laughter. Damn brutes…
"Don't insult our intelligence, Malfoy…" Theo warned. "Or I'll smack that smirk off of your face…" Ease up, Theo… We need answers, not a fight…
"Malfoy… Is that how you refer to me now?" Draco asked, his innocent façade wavering a bit.
"Yes…" Theo replied. "Ron was right about you, you're a pathetic and vile bastard…"
"Weasley…" Draco sneered. "Weasley knows nothing about me…"
"But we do" Blaise interjected. "What you did… Ron would never stoop so low…"
"He wouldn't?!" Draco shouted, losing his temper. "He has attacked me four times! He broke my nose, he's cursed me twice, and he attacked me in public!"
"And each time you deserved it!" Theo argued, shouting as well. Crabbe and Goyle narrowed their eyes at Theo, and Blaise moved his hand closer to his wand. Shite Theo… Calm down…
"Did I?!" Draco shot back. "He broke my nose because I referred to Davis as what she is! And he cursed me because I did the same with that filthy Mud-Blood Granger! Both of those filthy little…"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence" Theo warned, cutting Draco off. "You insult Tracey… and I'll make sure that Ron has nothing to worry about when he wakes up…" Blaise was taken by surprise at this, but he kept his composure. Since when does Theo defend anyone who isn't Pure-Blood…? Draco however, was visibly shocked.
"You're defending those vermin?!" Draco shouted in disbelief. "How would your mother feel if she could see you now?" Bad move… Blaise had to move quickly to stop Theo from lunging at Draco, and it was hard to hold the weedy boy back.
"Calm down, Theo" Blaise ordered, but his friend didn't hear him.
"How dare you bring up my mother?!" Theo shouted, wild with rage. "YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHITE!" Blaise dragged Theo outside, it wasn't easy.
"What are you doing?" Blaise hissed in anger. "We are trying to get answers, and you let him rile you up?"
"He has no right…" Theo grit out, and then he began pacing. Great… he's too angry to be useful now…
"Go cool off…" Blaise muttered, shaking his head. "I'll do this alone…"
"What?" Theo asked, stopping his pacing.
"Go!" Blaise ordered, and then he re-entered the dorm. Three on one… Is that how they attacked Ron? Where was the honor in that?
"I didn't…" Draco started slowly, but Blaise cut him off.
"That was pathetic… even for you" Blaise spat out. "You love bringing up our parents, don't you? And yet, you go into a frenzy if we ever do the same… You really are pathetic, Malfoy…" Draco looked like he had been slapped. "Why did you attack Ron? Was it just because he threw a curse at you?"
"He… he deserved it" Malfoy muttered, still reeling from Blaise's use of his last name. "He has no right to be here…" Blaise narrowed his eyes at Malfoy, he felt sickened by his former friend.
"You beat him senseless… You…" Blaise was having trouble speaking, and so he took a deep breath to calm down. "What you did, it was unforgivable… He has never gone that far, ever! And I don't care about your reasons… not anymore. I'm done holding him back…"
"What does that mean?" Draco asked, his voice regaining some venom.
"It means that the only reason why he doesn't go after you is because of Theo and me…" Blaise explained. "See unlike you, he cares about his friends… He doesn't see us as his lackeys… That's why he offered you his hand in friendship… He did it for us." Draco was staring at Blaise with a blank look. "He hates you, Malfoy… And now, I'm not going to stand in his way."
"I'm not afraid of some Blood-Traitor" Draco spat out. You really should be…
"Let me tell you something, for old times' sake" Blaise spoke slowly, he adorned his most malicious look. "Ron and I fought once, he was about to end your life and I got in his way… It was after your brutes broke his things, do you remember that?" Blaise asked, and Draco blinked. "Anyway, I brandished my wand and fired a Body-bind Curse at him… And he deflected it without moving a muscle…" Draco paled a bit at that. "That's the kind of person you've made enemies with, Malfoy. You think that title of his just came to be? He earned it… And you'll learn that soon enough. When he wakes up… start sleeping with one eye open…" With that, Blaise turned around and left. If that arrogant bastard wants a war, then he'll have one!
"Okay, how did everyone go?" Blaise asked. "We have thirty minutes before dinner starts, so explain quickly."
"We talked to his siblings" Tracey started. "They were quite shocked, though I can't blame them… They're probably in the Hospital Wing right now."
"And they believed the story?" Blaise asked, he needed to make sure that Ron's story stuck.
"They did" Pansy said. "They had no reason not to, Pomfrey has probably healed his injuries by now as well. So I think we're good on that…"
"Excellent, Daphne?" Blaise turned to the angry heiress. This isn't going to be good, is it?
"I managed to make both boys talk" Daphne said, her expression was grim. "They found Ron in the boys' bathroom… It was nowhere near the stairs. They helped him into the Hospital Wing, and he vomited a few times on the way there. Probably a concussion… But he was lucid enough to make up that lie, and the Hufflepuffs backed his story."
"Why?" Mille asked.
"I don't know…" Daphne sighed. "They said that 'Ron's business was his business'… I don't think they were looking for personal gain. They seemed genuinely concerned for Ron's health."
"Hufflepuffs…" Theo scoffed.
"Those Hufflepuffs saved him" Daphne shot back, looking at Theo grimly.
"I know…" Theo said, rubbing his forehead. "I'm just… out of it…" Tracey put a comforting hand on his back, and she gave him a reassuring smile. When did they get so close? Or am I just looking too much into this?
"What about you guys?" Tracey asked, she was rubbing circles on Theo's back.
"We got nowhere…" Theo muttered.
"You got nowhere" Blaise corrected. "I managed to figure out why Malfoy did something so damn stupid…"
"And why did he do it?" Pansy asked, she sounded far too intrigued for Blaise's liking. If she defends Malfoy… I swear to Merlin…
"Malfoy said that Ron doesn't deserve to be in Slytherin" Blaise explained, and this earned him annoyed looks. "Malfoy's reasoning is that Ron attacked him for speaking the truth, and so Ron deserved that beating…"
"Speaking the truth?" Tracey asked with a frown. "What truth?" Here I go…
"The truth being that Half-Bloods and Muggle-Borns are… lesser…" Blaise sighed, his own head was hurting because of this. He didn't even know what to believe anymore… He was raised to respect Blood-Purity, but his time with Ron had changed that… Ron didn't care about Blood-Status, he treated everyone equally. Which wasn't always a good thing, Ron could be a proper bastard at times. But that kind of honesty… it had touched Blaise. It had proven to Blaise that Ron wasn't like Malfoy, Ron would never bark orders at him or think himself superior. And then there was all the evidence that contradicted Blood-Purity as well… Granger, a Muggle-Born, was Ron's only equal… Tracey was a funny, brilliant witch despite being a Half-Blood… What if he was taught to believe in the wrong thing? A question for another time… Right now, we have other problems.
"Blood-Purity nonsense" Tracey scoffed, she was sick of it. "Malfoy really is scum…"
"You won't hear any arguments from me" Daphne agreed. "What he did to Ron… He has to pay!"
"And he will" Millie promised. "I'll snap his neck when I see him…"
"Calm down" Blaise advised. "We can't afford to be careless now… Malfoy isn't banished from the Triumvirate anymore. If anything, he has their favor…"
"The brooms…" Pansy sighed, coming to the bothersome realization. "So what do we do now?" Blaise smiled at her, he was worried for a second that she'd try to defend Malfoy again. She hasn't done that in a long while… I need to stop seeing her like that. She's changed too…
"We wait for Ron to come back" Theo spoke, regaining his composure. "And then, we all stick together like glue!"
"Good" Tracey said with a smile, and Theo gave her a faint smile back.
"There's one more thing…" Blaise said, gaining everyone's attention. "I think Malfoy is trying to push Ron out of the house… And, he's taken the gloves off. Things are going to be far worse this year than they were last year, I just want you all to know that. Malfoy wants a war…"
"Then he'll have one" Daphne said, her voice resolute.
Albus Dumbledore POV
Albus scratched Fawkes chest, and the beautiful phoenix let out a soft shrill. Any day now… You can do it, my friend. Albus smiled softly at his most faithful companion, the companion he named his resistance against Tom after. Albus felt another pang of regret in his chest, and his smile fell. Lately, every time he thought of Tom, he would think of Ronald. Poor boy… Ronald's scars haunted Albus' dreams, and Fred's words echoed through his mind every day. The hot-blooded twin had been right, Albus had failed to protect Ronald. In his arrogance, he had underestimated Tom and a student he was meant to protect was scarred forever. A twelve year old boy…
Fawkes bit Albus' finger softly, trying to pull his friend out of his somber mood. Albus gave Fawkes another scratch, and then he took a seat behind his clawed desk. Albus was currently awaiting Severus' arrival, Ronald had been admitted into the Hospital Wing once again. This time, if Poppy was right, it was due to severe physical assault. Albus frowned to himself, Ronald was always getting into the worst sort of troubles. That boy is a mystery…
Albus and Severus had both spent the entire school holidays embroiled in research, and they had found absolutely nothing… The 'void' within Ronald's mind remained a mystery, a mystery that bothered Albus greatly. How did Ronald possess such a power? The power to negate any mental intrusions… It was unheard of… and yet, the boy was living proof that it was possible. Did Ronald even know about his power? If he did, what else was he hiding? Albus recalled Ronald's story about the Philosopher's Stone again, it was remarkable that Ronald had decided to destroy the stone. Any grown wizard would be allured by the stone's power, even Albus had felt its allure more than once. But a twelve year old boy had decided to destroy the stone lest it fall into the wrong hands… Either Ronald was a saint, or he was lying once again. There was a loud knock on Albus' door, and it tore him out of his musings.
"Come in" Albus said, and he put on a kind smile. Severus entered the room and sat down in front of Albus. "Lemon-drop?" Albus offered, and Snape clenched his jaw. Albus chuckled involuntarily, Severus was always fun to toy with.
"Can we get to business?" Severus drawled in his usual lackluster tone.
"Of course, how is Ronald?" Albus asked as he moved forward in his seat a bit.
"He will live…" Severus said coldly. "Though he did have quite the 'fall'…"
"So it is true" Albus sighed. "The boy was attacked… You know who did it, I presume?"
"I do indeed" Severus said, a scowl forming on his face. How could his godson be this stupid?
"Was it the Malfoy boy?" Albus asked, though he already knew it was. Albus had not missed the looks Draco Malfoy had been throwing at Ronald all year. Severus didn't answer, and that simply confirmed Albus' theory. "What should I do with your godson, Severus?" Severus was taken aback for a split second, and then he frowned.
"Expel him…" Severus said coldly, and Albus blinked at him. Why would he say that?
"Are you serious?" Albus asked slowly, he was shocked by Severus' cold demeanor.
"I have no sympathy for bullies who beat their fellow class-mates to within an inch of their life…" Severus muttered, and he looked… ashamed… There weren't many people alive that could read Severus the way Albus could, and Albus could see the conflict within his young friend. He is thinking of his own school days…
"I will not expel young Draco…" Albus said softly, and Severus simply gave a curt nod. "However, I expect you to put an end to this. Before this escalates into something uglier… Is that fair?"
"Yes, Albus…" Severus replied, he was still scowling.
"I do wonder, however" Albus mused. "Why did Ronald lie about this?"
"It is a Slytherin matter… and Slytherin will solve it" Severus said flatly, and Albus nodded. Even he admired Slytherin house's close-knit sense of community. None of the other houses could claim that… Slytherin often felt like its own little school within Hogwarts, at least to Albus. Only Slytherin's Head of House knew anything about the house and its students.
"Very well" Albus said softly, and Severus got up to leave. "Severus…" Albus called, and the Potions Master stopped at the door. "Don't be too harsh on the boys… They are just children…" Severus didn't respond, instead he billowed away. But Albus knew that Severus would consider his words, he always did.
Ronald Weasley's POV
Ron woke up in the middle of the night, and he looked around groggily. The Hospital Wing… again… Maybe I should reserve a bed just for me? I'm in here often enough… Ron sat up, and he was surprised to see that he was wearing his glove again. I took that off… Who put this back on? Ron frowned at his covered hand, it was a constant source of shame and stress! Ron was grateful to see that he was at least wearing covering Hospital Robes, his scars were hidden! Ron let out a sigh as he stared at the empty beds around him, Malfoy had really done it this time… Not to mention that vision… Ron closed his eyes and recalled everything he saw and heard, he had to file this all away.
Malfoy would, at some point, become a decent person… And so would his mother… That alone was a hard thing to understand, what could have triggered such a change in the Malfoys? Not to mention Lucius Malfoy, his pain at losing his son had broken Ron's heart. Ron didn't know that a man could scream with such pain… or look so broken. Bellatrix's maniacal laugh rung through Ron's head, and he clenched his jaw. Evil bitch… Cruel, monstrous woman! She was hunting children! Children that Malfoy gave his life to save… This was too much! That vision seemed… impossible to Ron. And yet, he knew that it would come to pass eventually. All of his visions did…
And then there was Remus, who had also died in this vision… Ron hadn't seen it happen, but some man named Yaxley had killed him. That made Ron's chest ache, he liked Remus a lot. The shabby man was kind and warm to everyone around him, and he had a good head on his shoulders. He had the maturity that Sirius lacked, and Sirius had the charisma that Remus lacked. They were two halves of the same coin, just like Fred and George. They could survive without one another, but they were made better by each other's presence. Remus was Ron's friend, and sort of like an uncle at this point… Ron had to save him, he would save him!
Ron had been initially shocked to learn that Remus was a Werewolf, but he didn't care about that anymore. Remus was very different from the monsters that Ron had read about while growing up. Not to mention that Remus, like Malfoy, had died protecting those kids… Kids that were Ron's age… Kids who were being hunted like animals, and all because they were Muggle-Borns… This upcoming war, it's sickening! It has to be stopped, someone has to kill the Dark Lord! Someone has to kill people like Bellatrix! Ron felt righteous anger in his gut, how could someone be so cruel and evil?
Bellatrix's and Malfoy's skills with a wand were another thing that had caught Ron's attention. Malfoy had thrown those stunners non-verbally, and in rapid succession. And then there was that fire-making spell, Ron still felt awed by Malfoy's skill. But it scared Ron when he remembered how easily Bellatrix had overpowered him… If I went up against her, I'd die in a heartbeat! I'm so weak compared to them! How am I supposed to save anyone with this level of power?! Ron punched his own thigh in anger, that vision had woken him up to the reality of the upcoming war. Its brutality, the skills of the warriors on both sides, and Ron knew that he wouldn't last a day in that world… That had to change, he had to change… Luckily for him, his friend Victor had sent him the means to bring about that change… Ron wouldn't let Malfoy or Remus die like that, not if he could help it!
"You're awake!" came a familiar voice, and Ron turned to face Hermione. She walked up his bed quickly and beamed down at him.
"Good morning, Hermione" Ron greeted. He had been awake all night, recalling his vision and making plans. "How are you today?"
"I should be asking you that" Hermione giggled, and then she sat down on the side of his bed. "That must've been a horrible fall you took!"
"It was" Ron lied. "I missed a step and came tumbling all the way down…"
"Was it the disappearing step?" Hermione asked with a frown. "Poor Neville always forgets it's there, and he's taken quite a few falls…" Yeah, let's go with that!
"It was… Ruddy castle…" Ron snarled, he was astounded by his own lying skills. I've improved even more, it just feels natural at this point… I don't think that's healthy…
"I think they should remove it" Hermione said in a haughty voice. "It is a danger to the student-body, and I personally believe that Rowena Ravenclaw should have never put it in!" Ron chuckled at her bossy tone, she was definitely opinionated.
"What was Rowena thinking?" Ron asked with a chuckle.
"I know right!" Hermione agreed ecstatically, but she blinked when Ron chuckled more loudly. "Are you making fun of me?" she asked softly.
"Not at all!" Ron said quickly, he didn't want to make her upset.
"You'd better not be" Hermione said with narrowed eyes, but her lips were twitching into a smile. "You are bedridden, and I could easily hex you." Hex me? Miss. Play-by-the-rules here would hex me?
"Please do" Ron grinned. "Being hexed is a much better story than falling down some stairs." Hermione giggled at that.
"You're a prat" she said, smiling widely. "You're siblings have been worried about you, especially Ginny." Gin-Gin?
"How is my sister?" Ron asked, this was an opportunity to gain eyes within Gryffindor. "Is she settling in alright? Does she have any friends? How many of those friends are boys?" Hermione laughed at Ron's barrage of questions. What? These are serious questions, woman! Answer me!
"She is doing well" Hermione said, she looked like she was recalling something. "She does have a few friends, all the first years tend to stick together. And a few of those friends are boys, like Colin…"
"Colin Creevey?" Ron asked, losing his humor. "The boy with the camera… How close are they?" Hermione blinked at him.
"You're worse than your brothers!" Hermione accused. Excuse me? "Poor Ginny can't even talk to any boy in her year without the twins playing horrible pranks on them… It's mean! How is she supposed to make friends with them?"
"She isn't" Ron said slowly, he had a confused look on his face. She should be making friends with girls… Obviously… Hermione frowned at him, and Ron smiled sheepishly. Don't kill me, you Banshee…
"Well there is one boy in my year that she has spoken to once or twice" Hermione said suddenly, a hint of mischief in her voice. Ron sat up, his expression dead serious.
"Who? Tell me his name?" Ron asked softly. If it's Dean fucking Thomas, they can send me to Azkaban on a murder charge!
"Harry Potter…" Hermione said with an innocent smile, and Ron blinked. "Yes, that's right… She didn't speak much, but she did ask Harry for a broom…" Ron paled at that. "A broom that wasn't Harry's… Seems like your sister snuck her broom into Hogwarts, something that the first-years aren't allowed to do."
"Why… why would she do that?" Ron asked, he knew that she knew whose idea it had been.
"Harry already told me… So don't deny it…" Hermione said softly, her eyes gleaming with disapproval.
"That tosser…" Ron moaned.
"AHA!" Hermione yelled as she stood up, and then she pointed an accusing finger in his face. "Harry didn't say a word! But you just confirmed my suspicions!" Ron blanched at that, and he begged Merlin for mercy as she drew in a sharp breath. This lecture will be the death of me…
Ron sat in his bed, and he groaned at the boredom that was engulfing him. He had healed up, but Madam Pomfrey had gone full Molly Weasley on Ron. Even now she was watching him from the corner of her eyes, and Ron narrowed his eyes at her. It wasn't that he wasn't grateful, because he absolutely was. He was so grateful to her for fixing him up again, and he was even more grateful that she had covered his hand up to make sure that no one saw his scar. Yes, it turned out that Pomfrey had been the one to cover him up completely… And in doing so, she had earned a permanent place in Ron's heart. The last thing he wanted was for everyone to see him as some freak, especially his siblings. But right now, Pomfrey was acting more like a jailor rather than a nurse… She had even shooed away Snape. SNAPE! Who could do something like that?
Ron sighed a bored sigh, and then he went back to planning for the upcoming war. Right now, his top priority was to become stronger. His knowledge on spells was more than adequate… for his age. Ron understood now that when compared to a fully grown witch or wizard, he had no hope of victory. Someone like Bellatrix could kill him without a second thought, and that needed to change. To begin his plan of becoming stronger, Ron had to make some preparations. First and foremost, he needed to start running again. He needed to be in shape, just like Charlie had taught him. So he would order a set new running gear from the Mail Order Service, running gear that would cover his scars completely.
Secondly, he would find that room from his vision. He knew that once he found that painting of a man trying to teach trolls to Ballet, he'd find the room. His recollection of his vision told him that he had to pace in front of the invisible door and it would appear, just like it had for future Daphne. That room was instrumental in his plans, and finding it would solve many issues. He would have a new place to practice spells, he only had to avoid hitting the furniture. He would also have a place he could call sanctuary, how many people could claim knowledge of such a remote room? That room could help him avoid anyone he didn't want to meet or see… If things in Slytherin got tense again, then he'd just stay in that room!
Lastly, Ron had to start reading the Tome of Curses… This one was difficult to come to terms with, especially for Ron. Ron was raised to hate the Dark Arts, and he did. But he wasn't a moron… He knew that knowledge on the Dark Arts alone could protect him from such powers, and having a larger pool of spells wasn't a bad deal either. He would learn from this tome, but he would never yield to it. He promised himself that he wouldn't… He had already seen a future where he was apparently a Death-Eater, so he knew that this was a slippery-slope to be on. But having that knowledge alone changed things… He knew that he had to resist giving into the Dark Arts for the sake of his family and friends. The Dark Arts would be his tool, nothing more…
Ron's stomach growled loudly, and he winced as he clutched his stomach. All this planning is starving me… Ron's friends had come over after lunch, and they had brought him food. But Madam Pomfrey had thrown it away on the basis that he wasn't allowed to eat solid food yet, the potions in his system would make him throw up. But Ron would rather throw up his insides than eat that garbage they called 'Hospital Food'. Hospital food is an abomination! It shouldn't even exist!
"Mr. Weasley" Madam Pomfrey sighed as she heard his stomach growl again. "You need to eat what I'm giving you…"
"No…" Ron pouted, narrowing his eyes on the Matron. Evil wench…
"Stubborn boy…" she said with a frown. "I will not take no for an answer this time." And then she marched off to her office, and Ron dreaded her return. When she came back, she was holding a plate full of steaming hot garbage. NO! GET AWAY FROM ME!
"I'm not hungry" Ron lied, his eyes widening at her smirk.
"I will restrain you, and force feed you if I must" Madam Pomfrey threatened.
"You wouldn't dare…" Ron challenged, he had called her bluff. Or so he thought… Madam Pomfrey put down the plate, and then she flicked her wand at him. Straps were conjured from the bed, and they tied Ron down. NO!
"Unbind me!" Ron ordered, feeling his dread rise exponentially.
"Don't take that tone with me…" Madam Pomfrey warned, though there was amusement in her voice. And then she sat down on the side of his bed, the plate was back in her hands. She grabbed the spoon and filled it with the mush. "Now open wide, don't make this harder on the both of us."
"Never" Ron spoke through sealed lips. That stuff is disgusting! I'm not eating it! I want real food, food that tastes like food! And not wet parchment…
"I can open your mouth with magic, Mr. Weasley" Madam Pomfrey sighed. "Do yourself a favor and do as I say, or I'll have to demean us both…" Ron stared at her, and she was unwavering. There was no way out, this woman would go through with her threats. She already had… Ron opened his mouth slowly, feeling like some pathetic toddler. Madam Pomfrey put the spoon in his mouth, and Ron slurped up the goo.
"Ugh…" Ron gave an exaggerated groan. Wet parchment… That's what this is…
"It isn't that bad" Madam Pomfrey said, her voice dancing in merriment. "Stop being a baby…" Madam Pomfrey grabbed another spoonful, and put it in Ron's mouth. Ron gagged as he swallowed the terrible food.
"Why is this so gross?" Ron asked.
"It might be because of the three different types of pain relieving potions you're on…" Madam Pomfrey mused. "Or it might be because you are making it worse on yourself by thinking so poorly of this type of food… I personally believe that it's the latter."
"You're enjoying this too much…" Ron muttered. Madam Pomfrey chuckled at that, and it was the first time that he had heard her laugh.
"Perhaps… But this is what you deserve for making me worry so much" Madam Pomfrey said, and Ron adorned a look of confusion. But then it clicked in his mind, she was the one who had saved him after the Entity had shattered him into pieces. She put me back together…
"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey" Ron said sincerely, and this time she got confused. "For saving my life… after that incident with you-know-who…" Madam Pomfrey paled at that, and she stopped gathering up food on the spoon.
"Yes…" Madam Pomfrey muttered, she shuddered at the memory. "It wasn't just me, the Heads of Houses played crucial roles…"
"The Heads of Houses?" Ron asked, this was new. "Professor Snape helped?"
"Yes, he carried you up here… I've never seen him so distressed…" Madam Pomfrey recalled, she didn't know why she was telling him this. "And then he spent twelve hours operating on you alongside me, he never left your side for a second…" Ron's eyes widened at that, he couldn't believe. Snape had gone that far for him? Why had no one mentioned this yet?! I never even thanked him… "The other Heads were the same, they did everything I asked without a second's delay…" Why did they go so far for me? Was it just because I'm their student?
"Enough of that" Madam Pomfrey said, shaking herself free from the memory of that horrid night. "You need to keep eating this…" Ron groaned at the sound of that. "Force feeding it is then…"
Ron woke up in the middle of the night again, this was his last night in Hospital Wing. He'd been here for a day and a half now… Tonight's the night! Ron looked around to make sure that he was alone, and he smirked as he gazed at the empty beds. Ron then grabbed his wand off of the side table, and he hopped out of his bed. Ron quickly cast the Disillusionment Charm on himself, and then he made his bed. Can't have anyone becoming suspicious… Now, let's go find that room. Luckily for Ron, Percy had dropped by today. Ron had asked him of the tapestry with the man training the trolls, and Percy had revealed it to be on the seventh floor of the castle. Percy had been suspicious, but Ron had simply told him that his friends had mentioned it once before and that he wanted to see it after he was discharged. His brother had thankfully bought that…
Ron creeped through the dark hallways, his mind on high alert for any sounds. He didn't want Filch to catch him in the middle of the night because that would be disastrous! How was he even going to explain himself? He was still in Hospital Robes for Merlin's sake… Ron was passing the fourth floor when he heard a girl giggling, and Ron nearly screamed in fright. He immediately stopped moving, his heart beating harder and harder. Who was that? Ron heard something fall over from a nearby broom-closet, and that garnered Ron's interest. No! Focus on the current mission, I need to find that room before Pomfrey happens upon my empty bed! Ron then slowly started moving past the broom-closet and he ignored the sounds of a scuffle happening within.
"Oh… right there…" the giggling girl moaned, and Ron went beet-red. Dear Merlin… OH MERLIN! Ron's ears turned bright red, and he bolted away from the closet. They were probably snogging and doing… Bad timing Weasley, really bad timing! Somewhere in the back of Ron's mind, he could hear Sirius laughing maniacally. Old pervert…
When Ron finally reached the tapestry on the seventh floor, he released a breath of relief. I made it, I'm halfway finished… Now, for the room… Ron began pacing in front of the tapestry, and he paced for a long minute. But nothing happened… Why isn't it working?! Ron frowned at the wall, he was doing something wrong! Ron recalled his vision of Daphne, she had only paced in front of the wall for a few seconds… I've been at this for a minute! Does this only open for women? Is that why Theo and Blaise weren't inside in my vision?! Ron began pacing again, and he chewed his fingernails as he walked back and forth. I need that room! I can't practice spells without it, where else could I possibly practice the spells in that tome! Please… just give me a room to practice in, and a room to call my sanctuary!
Ron then heard the sound of wood cracking, and he turned to the wall slowly. A giant wooden door had appeared on the wall! IT WORKED! Ron grinned and ran up to the door, and then he pushed it open and walked in. Hanging braziers lit up around the room, and Ron was awed into silence. The room was magnificent, and just what he had imagined it to be… The room was separated into two sections, one for training and one for relaxing. The training area was a ring with three man-sized wooden dummies, each of them holding their own wands. It was larger than the relaxing area, and the ground was covered in sand. No doubt to make sure I don't break my arse if I fall…
Ron then turned to the relaxing area, and it reminded him of the Slytherin common room. There was a black leather couch in front of a lit fireplace, a small coffee table with a mug of steaming hot chocolate, and there was even a bed! Ron walked into the relaxing area and he picked up the hot chocolate, sipping it slowly as he looked around with absolute joy. It's like a small house… my own house! Ron then noticed that there were four books stacked on top of one another on the side-table of the bed. Ron's curiosity got the better of him and he looked at each of the books, reading their titles out loud.
"A Compendium of Common Curses and Their Counter-Actions…" Ron muttered to himself, his excitement growing. "The Dark Arts Outsmarted, Self-defensive Spellwork, Jinxes for the Jinxed…" Ron thanked Merlin for this amazing discovery, he knew that he'd pretty much live in this room! But that raised another question, what about his friends? They clearly knew about this room in the future, was he the one who told them? Ron frowned as he felt some bitter need to keep this place to himself, but he realized that he was being selfish. They could use this place… To train, to relax, and to be away from Slytherin's politics if they ever need a break… I should tell them… Eventually… After I've learned everything from that Tome of Curses. Then I won't need to keep this place a secret…
With that decided, Ron left the room with a sad look. He didn't want to leave just yet, but Pomfrey might discover him if he stayed away for too long… Ron made his way down to the Hospital Wing again, and he was having trouble containing his excitement. He had found a secret room in the school that was utterly perfect for his needs, what were the odds of that?! Finally, my luck is improving!
Ron's excitement died immediately when he heard something move behind him. He froze from fear, his heartbeat increasing in speed. Ron turned around slowly, but much to his shock, there was nothing behind him. Just an empty, dark hallway… Did I imagine that? Ron then heard an extremely odd sound come from beside his right ear, it sounded like a wet mop dragging across a floor. Ron turned to his right quickly, but there was nothing there but a wall. Okay… I definitely heard something… This is scary…
"Come" came a cold, venomous voice that made Ron's bones shudder. "Come to me… let me rip you… let me tear you… let me kill you…" Ron nearly passed out from fear, was this the Entity again?! No, this voice isn't as bad… Ron heard the voice again, but this time it was further away from him. "Kill… Kill… Kill…" it said, and then it was gone. What the fuck was that?! This damn school! Ron all but ran back to the Hospital Wing, he didn't want to be in the dark hallways for another second. What was wrong with this fucking school?!
"Alright, Mr. Weasley" Madam Pomfrey said with a smile. "You are hereby discharged, here is your uniform." Madam Pomfrey handed Ron his school robes, they smelled like flowers and they were warm to the touch. Did she clean these just now?
"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey" Ron said sincerely. And then he hopped out of bed and closed the curtains. He changed into his school robes eagerly, excited to finally leave the Hospital Wing. It was Wednesday today, and he had been attacked on Monday! A full day had been wasted… but at least he had missed out on the double of D.A.D.A with Lockhart yesterday! I guess it all worked out…
Ron left for breakfast right after changing, he desperately wanted some actual food! Ron yawned long and hard, he'd barely slept last night. He had spent the entire night peeking around the room from behind his covers, the venomous voice and its message had scared the hell out of him! Ron cursed whoever was behind it, was it a practical joke? Or was there some deranged killer walking around the school? With Hogwarts, one could never be too sure… The Dark Lord was proof of that…
"Hello!" Ron greeted his friends enthusiastically as he sat down in between Theo and some third year.
"Ron, you're back!" Tracey exclaimed.
"Yep! All healed up and rested" Ron grinned, and then he began putting absurd amounts of food on his plate. His friends didn't say a word about it, and for that he was grateful. He just wanted to eat.
"You missed out on the doubles of Transfiguration and D.A.D.A yesterday…" Daphne said softly, and then she reached into her school bag and took out a few rolls parchment. "Here, I made you notes…" she said, sounding a little unsure for some reason. Ron took the notes with a smile.
"Thanks, Daph" Ron said happily. "I really appreciate that!" For Transfiguration anyway… Daphne beamed at that and continued her breakfast happily. She's acting odd… Since when does she help out without expecting something in return? Whatever, I'll find out what she wants soon enough…
"Oh yeah…" Theo scoffed. "You'll need those D.A.D.A notes for sure…" Daphne glared murder at him, while the other three girls frowned. "Lockhart spent the entire class talking about how he banished the Bandon Banshee… Useless…" Then Theo winced in pain as someone kicked his shin. "Not again…" he grit out, and the other two boys laughed at his pain.
"Mr. Weasley" came a drawled out voice, and Ron recognized it immediately. Ron turned to face the Potions Master.
"Yes, Sir?" Ron asked politely.
"Come with me, now…" Snape said with an expressionless face, and then he began walking away. What's this? I didn't even get to eat! Ron frowned and followed the man, he shot his friends a quick look and noticed that they were suspicious of something. Snape then stopped behind Malfoy, and Ron felt his chest tighten at the sight of his attacker. Malfoy… Images of the older Draco choking on his blood flashed within Ron's head, and he felt a headache coming on.
"Mr. Malfoy, follow me" Snape ordered. Malfoy nodded and stood up, but then he spotted Ron and a scowl formed on his face. Ron looked away, he didn't want to see Malfoy's face. He felt like he would throw up if he did… Both boys followed the Potions Master down to his office, and Ron made sure to look at nothing but Snape's back. However, Ron could feel Malfoy glaring at him... Once they were inside, Snape ordered them to sit down. They sat down in front of Snape's desk, and Snape sat down in front of them. The Head of Slytherin was frowning deeply now…
"I assume you know why I've brought you here…" Snape said softly, his voice was cold as ice. "Do you care to explain yourselves?" What's to explain? Your godson and his apes beat me into a pulp… Both boys didn't utter a word, and Snape's temper slowly began to flare. "Fine… then let me say a few words" Snape growled, and Ron tensed in his seat. "You are both forbidden from interacting with one another. I will have you both watched within the common room, and if you two even look at one another the wrong way… There will be consequences."
"Works for me" Draco smirked.
"Silence!" Snape snapped, and Draco jumped a bit in his seat. "I have reported your actions to your father, Mr. Malfoy. Expect his response…" Malfoy paled at that. "As for you…" Snape said to Ron, his voice calming down considerably. "Will you be pressing any charges?" Charges? Ron shook his head, and Snape gave him a curt nod. "Very well, Mr. Weasley."
"From this moment on" Snape continued. "I will be watching you both very carefully. I expect your hostilities to come to an end, if you cannot get along with one another, then don't interact with one another. That is all, you are dismissed." Ron and Malfoy got up and left in a hurry, they didn't want Snape to find another reason to tear into them. Once they were outside, Malfoy glared right at Ron.
"Consider yourself lucky, Weasel…" Malfoy sneered, but Ron just looked at Malfoy with a sad look. "What's the matter with you?" Malfoy snapped after a few seconds.
"Nothing… I'll see you around…" Ron muttered, and then Ron just walked off. How does someone like him become a hero? What could have happened that changed Malfoy into that person from my vision? Ugh… I hate having no answers!
Ron and his friends sat in the courtyard, they were enjoying the sunlight. The double of History had sapped their strength, and Ron yawned long and hard once again.
"So what did Snape want?" Blaise asked Ron. "We aren't in class anymore, so you can talk…" Ron sighed at that.
"He banned Malfoy and me from interacting" Ron explained. "We are to cease our 'hostilities' and stay out of each other's way… Which works for me, I'd rather not run into Malfoy anytime soon." I can't even look at him…
"What?" Daphne asked in an annoyed voice. "After what he did, he just gets to walk away?"
"I guess…" Ron answered casually, shrugging his shoulders at her. Daphne looked like she had sucked a lemon…
"This is unfair!" Daphne huffed in anger. "He should be expelled!"
"I'm with Daphne" Tracey grit out. "We should report this to the Headmaster… He'd sort out Malfoy…"
"If Snape knows, then Dumbledore know…" Theo said with a sigh, and then he shook his head. "I think all the staff know that you were lying about the stairs… Couldn't you come up with a better lie?"
"Well, forgive me…" Ron said in an exaggerated voice, frowning at his weedy friend. "I was otherwise occupied with pain and vomiting… I'm surprised I even managed to lie in the first place…"
"Why did you lie?" Pansy asked, she looked rather confused. Ron didn't know that for certain either, he would say that it was because of his vision… Because of some need to protect Malfoy… In his broken state, he was having trouble separating the git from the hero… And so he had lied because he didn't want to get Malfoy in trouble… What a bad joke!
"I don't know" Ron muttered, and then he yawned again. "I'm exhausted!" Ron lay down on the grass and relaxed, stretching his arms and legs.
"It doesn't matter now" Millie said. "This fight with Malfoy is finished, and we can all go our separate ways. I don't know about you lot, but I'm more than glad about this."
"I wouldn't be so sure…" Blaise said aloofly. "Malfoy won't let this go…" Malfoy? Not Draco? "He is adamant about taking Ron out of the picture, we can't let our guard down."
"I'm with Blaise" Theo agreed. "Trust us when we say that Malfoy is a persistent bastard…" Malfoy again? What happened while I was away?
"Well, let him come" Daphne said menacingly. "If he wants a fight, then we'll give him one… I refuse to let him get away with this!"
"What do you think, Ron?" Pansy asked him. "Should we… should we do something about… Malfoy?" Her voice sounded rather forced when she called Malfoy by his last name.
"I think…" Ron started, his body just turning off due to being so relaxed. "I think I need some sleep…" And with that, Ron closed his eyes and just dozed off. I'll deal with this when I wake up… Ron missed his friends just blinking at him in confusion.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This chapter was slightly shorter than the usual, sorry about that. But I just wanted to use this chapter to set up a lot of plots and Character Arcs for this year! And yes, I'm sure many of you already know what was talking in the dead of night... The school is in for a nasty surprise, eh?! But just remember that the first attack (Mrs. Norris) didn't happen until October 31st, 1992! But things could change...
I will see you all soon!