AUTHOR'S NOTES: Chapter 73 is here! Sorry about it being a day late. It was my big brother's birthday, so I was back at my dad's house for the weekend. And before you start reading, I want to address a couple of things.

1. FF, for some reason, keeps turning 'N. E. W. Ts' into N.E, or some nonsense like that. I'm trying a new method of typing it, and I hope that it solves the issue.

2. Writing Duels for normal thirteen year olds is so hard... I mean, they're kids. I want to make it flashy, but it would just look so unrealistic if Harry was moving mountains while Ron was flying around the place. But nonetheless, I think I did alright. Can't wait to write my battle scenes in the Future! Voldemort tearing ass up, while the Order trying to hold him at bay. Can't wait!

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 73 - Not Alone

Ronald Weasley's POV

Friday 11th September, 1993 (Sanctuary – Crack of Dawn)

Why was his pillow inflating and then deflating? Also, why was it so warm? Ron slowly opened his crusty eyes only to see a blurry hump of some sort, which only served to confuse him even more. I'm thirsty, and my face hurts. Ron groaned a bit as he lifted his head up, and he froze immediately at the sight before him. It was Daphne, and she was fast asleep. What the…? Ron looked down at her stomach, and he then realized why his 'pillow' was moving up and down. Why was I sleeping on her tummy?

It all came back to him rather quickly after that. He had had a mental breakdown, he had savaged the Sanctuary in order to just let it all out, she had found him crying in a corner, and he had then proceeded to spill his emotional baggage all over her. Merlin… I ruined her robes, didn't I? Ron just stared at Daphne's sleeping form, guilt slowly creeping into his bones. I made her sleep on the cold, hard floor. Damn. Her uniform was badly crumpled, her hair was messy, and her shirt was dirtied by his tears and snot.

"You're awake," came a whisper from behind him, and Ron nearly screamed before quickly turning his head around.

"What the hell?" Ron muttered, his eyes widening at the sight of his friends sleeping around him. Theo, Tracey, and Millie were all bundled under one massive blanket, while Blaise was sitting up against a wall with Pansy slouched against him. She was fast asleep, but Blaise was watching Ron through lazy eyes.

"How are you feeling?" Blaise whispered, but Ron could do little but stare at him. Why are they all here? "Ron, are you there?"

"I um… I feel fine," Ron mumbled, eyeing Theo's creepy smile as he clung to Millie in his sleep. This is some weird shite. "Blaise, what's this?"

"I wonder how she'll react when they wake up," Blaise smirked, his eyes were rather droopy. "I imagine he'll crack some inappropriate joke, and she'll attack him."

"Why are you all here?" Ron asked, too surprised to register Blaise's comment.

"Daphne went looking for you after dinner, and when she didn't come back, we went looking for her," Blaise replied. "We found you sleeping on her lap, and she told us about your business."

"Oh…" Ron muttered, his chest tightening at that. I have to tell Xeno about this. Merlin, he's going to be devastated. I think I'll sell The Quibbler, and then hand over all of my money to him as an apology.

"Ron, it's rude to zone out," Blaise whispered, and Ron blinked at him.

"Sorry… I've got a lot on my mind," Ron sighed, and then he sat up properly.

"Must be a new feeling," Blaise smirked, and Ron chuckled tiredly.

"Yeah," Ron whispered. "Why are you awake?"

"Couldn't sleep," Blaise replied. "I need a bed. This whole sleeping on the ground thing isn't exactly relaxing, not to mention that Pansy is a million degrees."

"You love it," Ron quipped.

"It was fun at first, but then she started snoring," Blaise whispered, shooting the top of Pansy's head a cold look. "By the way, you shouldn't kick people."

"Kick people?" Ron asked, what was that about? I haven't kicked anyone.

"Millie tried to move you off of Daphne's stomach after you both fell asleep, and you kicked her like a mule," Blaise informed him, and Ron rubbed his forehead. I did? Fuck. "For a big girl, she went reeling back pretty far. She was winded and everything."

"Bloody hell," Ron frowned at himself. I'm such a moron.

"Eh, she was warned by everyone to leave you be," Blaise whispered. "You certainly seemed to be enjoying yourself."

"Pardon?" Ron blinked, and Blaise smirked at him.

"You were clinging to Daphne like some needy pet," Blaise told him, and Ron felt his face heat up. "Don't worry, she certainly wasn't bothered by it. If anything, she kept encouraging you to cling to her even more."

"How was she doing that?" Ron asked. "I was asleep."

"Head rubs, soft whispers, scratching you behind the ears," Blaise listed. "It was quite amusing to see you behave like her personal pet."

"Right," Ron said slowly. "So um… Should we wake them?"

"In a second," Blaise replied, his gaze slowly becoming sharper. "So… You're hurting yourself now?" Ron blinked at that, he certainly hadn't missed the anger in Blaise's tone. Hurting myself?

"Pardon?" Ron asked.

"Your face," Blaise replied, and Ron nodded slowly. I punched myself if I recall correctly.

"An accident," Ron lied. "It happened when I was… on my rampage. I don't even feel it." I need to heal this.

"Alright," Blaise said, he didn't believe Ron for a second. "Let's wake the others."

"Okay," Ron said, and then he turned his attention to Daphne. "Hey, Daph," Ron whispered as he gently shook her. "It's time to wake up. C'mon."

"Ron?" Daphne mumbled, her eyes opening lazily. And then, she suddenly sprang up with a worried look. "You're awake? What time is it?"

"Don't know the time, but I am indeed awake," Ron smiled, and she nodded in a tired manner before looking around the room. Blaise was currently trying to wake up Theo, Millie, and Tracey, while Pansy was looking around groggily. "C'mon, let me help you up." With that, Ron lifted her to her feet.

"My back hurts," Daphne whined, her face morphing into a miserable pout.

"Sorry," Ron smiled sheepishly. "I didn't mean to make you stay with me for the whole night."

"Well, it's a good thing that I can make my own decisions then," Daphne said as she stretched her back, and Ron's eyes quickly drifted to her protruding bust. Look away! "You were in no state to be left alone last night, Ron."

"I know," Ron sighed. "Thanks for not leaving me." Daphne smiled at that, but before she could say anything, they both heard hysterical laughter from behind them.

"Get off of me," Millie snapped, but Theo just kept laughing. Ron and Daphne turned their attention towards the noise, and they saw that Theo was still clinging to Millie.

"C'mon Millie, it's just some cuddles," Tracey laughed, while Pansy was just giggling like a little girl.

"Theo, leave her be," Blaise smirked, but he did nothing to help Millie.

"But I love her," Theo chuckled. "We should do this more oft-"

"That's it!" Millie yelled before grabbing Theo by his neck, and both Blaise and Ron quickly moved into action.

"We… don't… have a safety… word," Theo gasped as Millie strangled him, a cocky smile on his face. Sadly, Blaise wasn't exactly strong enough to help Ron in saving Theo's life, but Ron himself had little difficulty in pulling Millie off of the weedy boy.

"He fondled me in my sleep," Millie accused, while the other girls just laughed at the commotion.

"I just wanted… some cuddles," Theo coughed, still grinning like an arsehole.

"Millie, calm down," Ron couldn't help but chuckle, not to mention that he was rather pleased by how easily he could handle Millie. My exercises are really starting to pay off. I mean, Millie isn't exactly weak. "Theo, stop being a jerk."

"How am I a jerk for spreading love?" Theo sniggered as he sat up, and Millie tried to lunge at him again. Ron quickly moved in-between them.

"Ignore him," Ron said, and Millie grunted angrily. "By the way, why are you all here? Why didn't you guys just wake me up, and then go back to the common room?"

"Because Daphne wasn't letting us," Tracey replied, shooting Ron a mischievous smirk. "Not to mention that you were quite… attached to her… last night."

"Too attached," Millie grimaced, remembering Ron's mule kick.

"I'm really sorry, Mills. Blaise told me what I did," Ron apologized, but she just waved a dismissive hand.

"You were asleep, and in hindsight, it wasn't a smart move," Millie admitted.

"We figured out a way to save your business!" Pansy exclaimed, unable to hold it back anymore. Huh? Ron shot a confused look at Pansy, and then he looked towards Daphne.

"It's not a perfect plan," Daphne told him, a proud smirk appearing on her tired face. "But it could work." They came up with a plan to save The Quibbler.

"You guys spent the night planning on how to save my business?" Ron asked, he didn't know how he felt about that. On the one hand, he felt an overabundance of happiness because of their thoughtful gesture. But on the other hand, he felt rather guilty because they had spent an entire night solving his problem while he had slept.

"We're great, aren't we?" Tracey laughed, and Ron nodded slowly. Is that why they all slept in here? They were too tired to go down to the common room after coming up with a plan? How long did it take them to come up with this solution?

"You guys didn't-" Ron started, but Daphne quickly cut him off.

"Our plan is actually really simple," Daphne said a bit too loudly, she didn't want Ron to sound ungrateful to the others. The last thing that they needed to hear was that 'they didn't have to do this'. "After thinking of a few different ideas, we settled on you going to one of your allies."

"One of my allies?" Ron asked. Do they want me to ask Sirius for money, or something like that? If so, then this plan isn't for me.

"Madame Maxime," Daphne replied, and Ron blinked at her.

"Madame Maxime?" Ron repeated, and Daphne nodded.

"We thought of multiple ideas before her, but none of them were viable," Blaise explained, and Ron just listened quietly.

"I still stand by my idea," Tracey grinned, and Blaise rolled his eyes.

"I doubt Ron wants to kidnap some old bloke," Theo piped in, shooting Ron a grin. Kidnap?

"Like I was saying," Blaise continued. "We then thought about putting money together for you, but we knew that you'd refuse that. Which left only one course of action… Your allies. Lord Greengrass and Lord Black were our first choices-"

"We even thought of Dumbledore," Pansy said, and Ron nodded slowly. I bet Dumbledore is loaded, but I'd rather not go begging him for money.

"Both Lord Black and my father would attempt to pay for you, but you'd never accept their money," Daphne took over, she was looking rather happy right now. "And that's when I remembered that you have another powerful ally."

"Madame Maxime," Ron said, and Daphne nodded. "You want me to ask her for money?"

"Not at all," Millie replied. "Daphne mentioned that Madame Maxime is rather involved in the politics of her country, and apparently, she likes the Media's spotlight."

"Remember your latest Chess Tournament?" Daphne asked him.

"I do," Ron replied, he was starting to follow their train of thought.

"She had an entire squad of journalists there just for her benefit," Daphne said. "So I figured that it is quite likely that Madame Maxime and Barnabas Cuffe mingle in similar circles. If he has all the advertisement firms under his thumb, then she might have one that you could utilize. And since she owes you for helping her salvage her reputation, I reckon she'll front the costs too."

"This… This is brilliant," Ron muttered, he could feel his burden alleviating slowly. "Guys! This is really fucking brilliant!" This could work! I didn't even think of Madame Maxime!

"Why thank you, Ron," Tracey chuckled, while the others simply smiled at him.

"I should've come straight to you guys!" Ron laughed, it felt as if the World was realigned again. If this works, then Xeno and his Family won't suffer because of my mistake.

"You should've," Blaise said, and then he patted Ron's back. "We're a team, mate. Stop trying to do everything by yourself."

"Don't get your hopes up yet," Theo said quickly, but it was already too late for that. "There's at least a dozen ways that this could not work out."

"True, but it's better than doing nothing," Ron smiled widely, and then he looked to a pleased Daphne Greengrass. "Madame Maxime… That's brilliant, Daphne."

"Thank you," Daphne said. "We also figured that it was best if you actually went to Beauxbatons yourself."

"Sending Helios to ask for such a favor would be quite insulting," Theo told him, and Ron nodded quickly. Right. I can't insult her.

"My father has a contact within the Ministry that supplies him with quick Portkeys," Daphne reminded Ron. "I'll send father a letter once we're back in the common room, and hopefully, he can sort something out for this weekend." This weekend? I have work tomorrow, and I was planning to check Grimmauld Place for that locket on Sunday. Shite! The locket! I still haven't thought of a plan yet!

"Shouldn't I inform Madame Maxime that I'm coming?" Ron asked.

"Maybe," Pansy replied, and Ron blinked at her. Maybe? "I think it would be better if you just showed up. It would take away any advantage that she might try to gain over you, and if you're prepared and she's not, then that definitely helps your chances."

"She's my ally though," Ron said. "Shouldn't I give her at least a warning?"

"You can, but I don't believe that even Helios can fly that far that fast," Millie replied.

"And aren't you in a hurry with this?" Tracey asked him, and Ron nodded.

"Alright," Ron agreed. "I'll just drop in, be charming, and then do my best to convince her to save my arse."

"You should also keep the language under control near her," Theo advised. "She's an extremely respected individual, and apparently, you get belted for 'foul language' at Beauxbatons."

"Right," Ron nodded firmly, and then he looked at them all lovingly. "Guys… Thank you for this. Truly. You lot going this far for my sake… It means a lot to me. You probably have no idea about how grateful I am for this…"

"Just come to us next time," Daphne smiled at him.

"You know, before you rage out on furniture," Tracey chuckled. "Seriously though, what happened in this room?"

"I… I lost it," Ron sighed, and then he looked around the savaged room. "Do the Elves clean this room?"

"Probably," Theo shrugged. "I've never seen any dust or mess in here before."

"I should definitely apologize to them for this," Ron said. "But after I've had a shower."

"I think we all need showers," Millie pointed out, and then she glared at Theo. "Some more than others."

"What can I say?" Theo grinned. "Being around you makes me all sweaty."

"Millie, no!" Ron jumped between her and Theo, while Blaise did his best to pull her back.

Friday 11th September, 1993 (Owlery – Before Breakfast)

"Go straight to Lord Greengrass, Helios. Be as quick as you can," Ron instructed his companion, and then he attached Daphne's letter to Helios' leg. The Eagle-Owl hooted loudly, and then he flew away with haste.

"That… takes care of… that," Daphne said from behind him, her voice shivering. Ron turned to face her, and he couldn't help but feel a strong pang of guilt. I used her robes as a bloody tissue.

"Here, Daph," Ron said as he pulled his robes over his head. "Put these on."

"Ron, I'm fine," Daphne lied, but her clattering teeth gave her away. "I already told you that you don't have to give me your robes."

"It's freezing, and you're literally shaking," Ron said, and then he walked over to her and handed her his robes. "You don't have clean ones because of me, so please… Just wear mine. They have a Fitting Charm on them, so you don't have to worry about them being too big."

"People might notice, Ron," Daphne told him once again.

"So what?" Ron shrugged. "They're just robes."

"What about your scars?" Daphne asked.

"They're hidden," Ron assured her. "You can't see them, right?"

"No, I can't," Daphne replied, and she nodded slowly. "Thanks."

"I should be thanking you," Ron chuckled as she put the robes on, and after a second, they shrank down to her size. "Neat."

"I know right," Daphne giggled, and then she gave him a twirl. "How do I look?" No different than usual.

"Perfect," Ron smiled, and she beamed at him. "Let's go to breakfast."

"In a second," Daphne said quickly as she jumped in-between him and the exit. "I wanted to talk to you about last night."

"Oh…" Ron rubbed the back of his neck. "Listen… I'm really sorry for doing that to you… I mean, I'm really bloody grateful to you and the others, but I just wish that I didn't spoil your night with my… breakdown…"

"That's fine, Ron," Daphne said, and then she walked up and hugged his middle. Oh, this is nice. "Are you feeling better now?"

"I am," Ron replied, and then he wrapped his arms around her. "Thank you, Daphne. For everything."

"You're going to have to stop thanking me eventually," Daphne giggled, her arms slowly traveling down to his lower back. "I'm just glad that you're not hurting anymore."

"This Madame Maxime plan is going to work," Ron said as he hugged her more tightly. "I can just feel it, you know."

"I know," Daphne hummed. "Ron… You said some things last night… Things that were a bit jarring." Things? What did I say?

"What sort of things?" Ron asked slowly.

"You called yourself stupid… A lot," Daphne replied, and then she looked up at him. "You said that everyone was off better without you, and that everyone's life would be far less complicated if you weren't around." Shite, I did say that. Or rather, I sobbed it out. "What did that mean?"

"I was… I don't know," Ron lied.

"Don't lie to me," Daphne said, her eyes digging into his. "Not about this. You physically hurt yourself, Ron. I saw your knuckles, and I saw the bruise on your face. All of us saw. Why would you do that to yourself?" I was trying to lash out at the God that's possessing me.

"I don't know what to say," Ron admitted, he was starting to feel rather tense. "Can we please not-"

"No, Ron," Daphne cut him off. "We're talking about this right now. I don't care if we're late to breakfast, or even Potions. I want to know why you did something so horrible to yourself. I want to know why you think that everyone would be better off without you."

"Why?" Ron asked as he let her go.

"So I can talk some sense into your thick skull," Daphne replied haughtily, her hands going to her hips. "I can't even imagine why you would think that."

"Because it's true," Ron shrugged, and Daphne blinked at him. "Theo's father is eventually going to make him choose between his beliefs and mine, we all know that. Blaise and Pansy want to help Malfoy, but they can't because I'm here. Millie thinks that I turned her life around, but truth be told, she did it all by herself. All I do is complicate things. I mean, just look at us."

"Alright, one step at a time," Daphne narrowed her eyes on him. "What happens between Theo and his father is between them, it has nothing to do with you. Theo made his own decisions, you've never once twisted his arm. And if you say that you existing caused this issue, I'll smack you. Now, Blaise and Pansy… Blaise feels that he owes Malfoy from back when they were kids, and Pansy's always had a soft spot for him. But you know what? People have to choose to move on sometimes. You fought your own Family tooth and nail in order to stay in Slytherin, and we all know that it was for our sake."

"You landing in Gryffindor wouldn't really change anything for you," Daphne went on, and Ron felt himself shrinking. "But you fought against your Re-Sorting because you didn't want to leave us. Blaise and Pansy should stop eyeing their old friend, and learn to fucking appreciate the one they have now." She swore… Merlin, she's getting angry.

"And Millie… You didn't even know her two years ago, so let me tell you just how much she's improved," Daphne continued as she slowly walked up to him. "She was the group's punching bag. Everyone… including myself… made comments on her weight and appearance. When she used to put food on her plate, Malfoy would imitate a cow, and everyone would laugh at her. She barely ever spoke, because every time she did, one of us would tell her that she sounded stupid. If any of us were having a bad day, we'd take it out on her. She only spent time with us because her parents refused to let her be an introvert."

"You all did this?" Ron asked her, he could feel his temper flaring. If anyone imitated a cow when Millie was trying to eat now, Ron would rip their tongue out.

"We did," Daphne admitted. "It was disgusting and cruel, but it was better to dish it out rather than take it. That's what we were all like before you. And sure, it took a while for us to adjust to your personality, but once we did, things got better for everyone. I mean seriously, if anyone tried to go after Millie now, we'd make sure that they'd regret it."

"If anyone went after Millie, she'd take care of it herself," Ron said, and Daphne smirked at him.

"Exactly!" Daphne exclaimed, and Ron flinched a bit. "The 'old Millie' wouldn't be able to do that, but the Millie we know wouldn't take abuse from anyone. She's confident, and when she speaks, we all listen. That confidence started because you spent hours helping her improve her grades, and you never once berated her when she made mistakes. So tell me Ron, how are things worse off because of you? Millie would be heartbroken if she heard the things that you said about yourself last night. And don't even get me started on Tracey and Pansy… Do you have any idea just how much they love you? You come up constantly when we're all talking."

"I do?" Ron asked, and Daphne nodded firmly.

"When you got petrified, it was like the group was slowly dying," Daphne told him. "Your health not counting, our greatest fear was that things would go back to being how they were. That our group would slowly drift apart. That's how important you are. Do you understand? If you do, then you'll never say things like that again. How could you possibly think that I would feel burdened by you? How could you say something like that?"

"I said that?" Ron blinked, and Daphne just glared at him.

"You told me that your brain-damage was your problem, and that I shouldn't have to deal with it," Daphne replied, it was hard to not notice the anger in her voice. "Once again Ron, no one is twisting my arm. I help you because I want to. Because we're friends. Because we're…" A couple? "Don't ever say something like that again, or I swear to Merlin, I'll smack you into another coma."

"What if I still feel like that?" Ron asked quietly. "Sometimes, that is."

"Then you come to me, and I'll talk some sense into you again," Daphne huffed in indignation. "Got it?"

"Got it," Ron mumbled, he couldn't help but stare down at his feet.

"I'm not trying to upset you, Ron," Daphne said softly, she didn't want him to feel hurt by her words. "But it was just so… frustrating to hear you talk about yourself like that. We're having this conversation because I don't want you to isolate yourself. It doesn't help you, and it certainly doesn't help your condition. Don't shut us out. We're all here because we want to be, not because you forced us. As for me helping you whenever you need it, I do it because I love you. The same way you love all of us."

"Our love is a little different," Ron couldn't help but point out. I can't believe I just said that.

"True," Daphne said as she hugged his middle again. She doesn't mind? "But its foundation is the same as with the rest of our group. If Blaise or Theo needed my help like you did last night, then I would be there for them immediately. Just like you would be there for Tracey, Millie, Pansy, and me. Tell me, do you think of us as burdens when you help us?"

"No," Ron said truthfully, and Daphne tightened her hold on him. She makes a strong point. Maybe I've become too used to doing everything by myself. "Sorry. I'm just… It's hard for me to accept help sometimes."

"Try always," Daphne said haughtily. "No man is an island, Ron." Right.

"So… No kissing, then?" Ron asked slowly, and Daphne looked up with a deadpan look. Mistakes were made.

"We can do a few quick ones, or we can do two or three long ones," Daphne replied.

"Long ones please," Ron grinned. No man is an island. Maybe I should start taking those words to heart.

Friday 11th September, 1993 (The Great Hall – Breakfast)

"Why are the Gryffindors smirking at us?" Ron asked, it was far too obvious to not notice.

"That is a sad story," Theo sighed, and Ron waited for him to go on.

"The second years had their Grand Tournament ranking matches yesterday, and Slytherin didn't win a single match," Millie informed him, and Ron went wide-eyed from shock.

"Not even one?!" Ron exclaimed, and Blaise shushed him immediately. "Sorry… Not even one? Are you serious?" How's that even possible?

"It was mortifying for the whole House," Pansy shook her head.

"Just take a look at Snape," Tracey whispered, and Ron did just that. The Potions Master was eating his breakfast with a scowl on his face, and occasionally, his eyes would dart towards the jeering Gryffindors.

"He yelled at the second years for almost thirty minutes," Blaise said. "All the girls were in tears halfway through his yelling, while the lads were literally shaking from fear." Bloody hell.

"Not to mention the abuse that he hurled at the Triumvirate," Theo added on. The Triumvirate?

"What did he say to them?" Ron couldn't help but ask, he was rather fond of this year's Triumvirate.

"Called them morons, told them that it was 'their job to make sure that the Slytherins weren't so useless', he even gave them detention for 'neglecting the second years'," Tracey replied, and Ron shook his head.

"It's hardly their fault," Ron said, but Tracey simply shrugged.

"He was livid, and the second years were at their limit," Tracey said. "There's a lot of pressure on us tonight. Snape probably expects us to dominate tonight."

"I'm done for," Pansy whined, and Ron looked towards Daphne. She was just eating her food quietly, no doubt still bothered by his words last night. She still kissed me, but I could tell that she wasn't in the mood for it.

"I don't know about you lot, but I'm probably going to win all of my matches tonight," Theo smirked, and everyone rolled their eyes.

"How many matches per person?" Ron asked his friends.

"Five per person," Blaise replied, and Ron nodded. "Opponents are picked at random before the matches by Lupin and Snape, and while they act as referees, the Heads of Houses watch each match carefully. I'm guessing that winning isn't the only criterion for success."

"Are we doing the study group today?" Daphne looked up. "I was thinking that we should skip it today."

"And use our free period before that to practice a little," Ron nodded in understanding. "I'll get the word out right now. By the way, how did my sisters go?"

"Ginny won four out of five, while Luna won three out of five," Millie told him, and Ron smirked to himself. Those are good numbers. "Do you want me to go with you?"

"Sure," Ron nodded, and then they both got out of their seats. "You should go to the Hufflepuffs, while I'll go to the Gryffindors."

"Alone?" Blaise asked, and Ron nodded.

"Someone has to talk to them," Ron said. "Plus, they don't really mind me too much. Sometimes…"

"Go to the Ravenclaws first, and then I'll join you at the Gryffindor table," Millie said, and Ron nodded his agreement. It'll put them at ease, so why not? Ron and Millie then left for their respective tables, and while Millie went straight for Justin, Ron walked over to Padma.

"Good morning," Ron smiled at Padma and her friends, his eyes quickly darting towards Luna.

"Good morning, Ron," Padma greeted him back, while her friends gave him polite nods. "Where were you yesterday? Luna was rather worried about you." I was having a mental breakdown.

"I was really tired, that's all," Ron lied. "Anyway, I'm just here to tell you that the study group isn't running tonight."

"Because of the matches?" Terry Boot asked, and Ron nodded.

"That's a shame," Lisa Turpin sighed. "I was hoping get some homework done tonight."

"Or play footsies with Justin Finch-Fletchley," Anthony Goldstein sniggered, and Lisa shot him a frown.

"I can multitask," Lisa said snootily, and even Ron chuckled at that.

"Right, I'm going to go tell the others," Ron said, and then he walked over to Luna and her friends. "Hello, Luna."

"Ron!" Luna smiled widely, and then she quickly hopped out of her seat and hugged him. "Where were you yesterday? You're not sick, are you?"

"Asleep in my room," Ron lied, and Luna nodded slowly. She knows that I'm lying, doesn't she? "So you won three out five matches yesterday, eh? Not bad little sis, not bad at all."

"Is she really your sister?" one of Luna's friends asked, her glasses were rather massive. They take up half of her face.

"She is," Ron replied, and the second years exchanged looks.

"Ron and I grew up together," Luna told them, and Ron nodded his agreement.

"Are you really a Prodigy?" a boy asked.

"He is," Luna replied for him. "He's the smartest person I know." That's just not true, but I'll still take the compliment.

"Thanks, Luna," Ron chuckled. "By the way, the study group isn't running tonight."

"Because of the matches?" Luna asked, and Ron nodded. "Alright. Just don't hurt anyone." Ron blinked at her, while her friends exchanged knowing looks. They all remembered his Duel with Harry Potter last year.

"I'll… try my best…" Ron said slowly, and Luna gave him an airy smile. "I'll see you later." With that, Ron turned around and headed for the Gryffindor table. Just don't hurt anyone? Does she really think that of me? I mean, I certainly don't plan to hurt anyone. Maybe stun them, but that's about it. Millie suddenly caught up to him, and Ron broke out of his thoughts.

"The Hufflepuffs are disappointed, but they understand," Millie reported.

"The Ravenclaws are the same," Ron told her, and he didn't miss her eyeing the Gryffindors warily. "Millie, it'll be fine. And if they start something, we'll just smack them around."

"I like that idea," Millie chuckled, and Ron shot her a smile.

"Thanks for coming with me," Ron said, and she stopped chuckling.

"Um… Don't worry about it, Ron," she said slowly. "You don't have to thank me for something so small."

"I'm just that polite," Ron joked, and Millie cocked an eyebrow at him. "What? I am."

"Sure, Ron," Millie smirked, and Ron 'frowned' at her.

"Some people," Ron scoffed, and Millie nudged him. They approached the third years at that, but the twins had been watching them carefully.

"Dearest brother," Fred grinned at him, and then he looked towards Millie. "Lord Bulstrode."

"Lady Weasley," Millie greeted back, and the twins sniggered immediately.

"She got you good, Fred," George said, while Fred feigned hurt.

"Such a sharp tongue," Fred added on.

"Must be that Slytherin 'wit' that we all keep hearing about," George said.

"Mind teach-"

"Can you two stop?" Ron asked them, and they both shrugged casually. "Did you get the package?"

"We did indeed," Fred smirked.

"You have our gratitude," George smiled at him. "Tell you what, Ronnikins, we won't prank your fellow snakes due to your contribution."

"That's fair, is it not?" Fred asked.

"More than," Ron smiled at them. "Just don't give Percy too much grief please."

"You're right," Fred nodded.

"We should target only him," George rubbed his chin. That's literally the opposite of what I said.

"Right," Ron shook his head, and then he walked up behind Harry and Neville.

"Hey, Ron," Neville greeted him.

"Good morning, mate," Ron patted Neville's back. "Looking handsome as always." Neville blinked at him, while Harry sniggered. "You have a really nice jawline happening there."

"Sod off," Neville laughed.

"What brings you here?" Hermione asked him, and he managed to give her a smile. Don't make things weird. You can't change the past.

"We're just hear to let you know that the study group won't be running today," Ron replied, and both Harry and Neville smiled widely in relief.

"What? Why?" Hermione asked, and Ron noticed that some of the Gryffindors were sniggering at him and Millie.

"No study group today?" Lavender asked, and Ron shook his head. "Why, Ron?"

"The matches are after classes," Ron reminded them.

"That's… fair…" Hermione pouted miserably. "I keep forgetting about this 'Dueling Club'."

"Didn't you sign up for all three Tournaments?" Fay asked Hermione.

"I did," Hermione replied bluntly. "So?"

"So how could you forget about the-"

"I'm allowed to forget things," Hermione said haughtily, and Fay frowned at her.

"So um… Can you guys let everyone in Gryffindor know?" Ron asked Harry and Neville, who both nodded.

"We will, Ron," Parvati smiled at him, and he gave her a polite nod. I can feel Daphne's eyes on me. Ron then turned to walk over to Ginny in order to congratulate her for winning four out of five matches yesterday, but Harry quickly followed after him.

"Ron, mind if I talk to you?" Harry asked.

"Sure," Ron nodded, and Harry looked towards Millie. "Millie, can you please give me a minute?"

"Sure," Millie rolled her eyes at Harry, and then she left for the Slytherin table.

"Is everything alright, mate?" Ron asked the Boy-Who-Lived.

"I was going to ask you that," Harry replied, and Ron blinked at him. "You were missing all of yesterday."

"Oh that… Yeah, I'm fine," Ron smiled a bit, and Harry nodded slowly.

"Did you get sick again?" Harry asked, and Ron shook his head.

"I fell asleep after I came back from Gringotts," Ron lied. "My friends didn't bother waking me up, and by the time I woke up, dinner was long over."

"Right," Harry said slowly, and then he shot a look towards Dumbledore's empty chair. "Do you know where Dumbledore is? I asked McGonagall, but she told me that 'it was none of my business'." She does have a point.

"I have no clue," Ron lied once again. "I wasn't even at Hogwarts for most of yesterday, and when I did come back, I took a rather long nap." Change the topic, Ron. "By the way, how are you?"

"Me?" Harry asked, and Ron nodded.

"The whole Boggart thing must've been rather horrible for you," Ron said, and Harry took in a deep breath.

"More embarrassing than horrible," Harry frowned at himself. "I froze… I knew that it was going to be him, but I still froze."

"That's fine, mate," Ron said, he couldn't help but feel a little bad for Harry. Poor bastard has to worry about the Dark Lord coming after him. No one deserves that.

"It's not fine, Ron," Harry shook his head. "I can't believe that I was such a… coward."

"It was the Dark Lord, Harry," Ron patted his upper arm. "There's nothing wrong with getting jarred by something like that. I won't lie to you mate, my own arsehole puckered right up." Harry blinked at him, and then a laugh escaped his mouth.

"That's so gross," Harry laughed, while Ron just smiled at him.

"You'll get 'him' next time, I'm sure of it," Ron said, and Harry gave him a grateful smile.

"Remus told me that the Slytherins will be having a turn against the Boggart next Thursday," Harry told him, and Ron held back his dread. I am not getting in front of that thing. "I wonder what you'll see."

"A naked Snape," Ron joked, and Harry snorted.

"I think I'll skip the class then," Harry chuckled. "Anyway… I'll let you go."

"See you in Potions, mate," Ron said as he turned to leave, and after a few steps, he was standing behind Ginny and Colin Creevey. "Hello, you two."

"Hi, Ron," Colin greeted him with a smile, and Ron saw that the other second years were also smiling at him. They must've enjoyed the study group last week. Good.

"Where were you yesterday, Ron?" Ginny asked him as she turned to face him, her expression was a mixture of concern and annoyance. "You missed my matches."

"I know," Ron smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, Gin. I heard that you won four out of five. That's really amazing."

"She was superb," Colin piped in quickly, and Ginny smiled proudly. Is that so, Colin? You certainly seem to be 'happy' for her. "I only won two… The Ravenclaws were way too eager to win."

"That's hardly a bad thing, Colin," Ginny said, and Colin smiled sheepishly. "Anyway, I only lost to that tall freckled kid from Ravenclaw. What was his name? Robert Hewes? Something like that…"

"Four out of five is still great," Ron smiled at her, and she looked rather happy to hear that. "Congratulations, little sis."

"My name's Ginny," Ginny rolled her eyes, but Ron simply sniggered.

"Right, little sis," Ron said, and Ginny frowned at him. "Are you coming to watch me tonight?"

"Obviously!" Colin said excitedly. "The whole school is coming, Ron! People were talking about last year's Dueling Club, and your name kept popping up. People are-"

"Ahem," Ginny 'cleared' her throat, and Colin blinked at her.

"People are what?" Ron asked him, and Colin shot Ginny a meek look.

"They're saying that you'll beat everyone without any problems, which is mental," Ginny said, and Ron quickly hid his hurt. Mental? Why would it be mental? "It was rather hurtful towards people like Hermione, who have similar grades to yours." And there it is. "Not to mention that the Ravenclaws are really smart too."

"But Ron's… Ron," Colin piped in, and Ginny frowned slightly.

"People need to stop putting so much pressure on him," Ginny said, and Ron blinked at her. So is she on my side? I'm confused now.

"I don't plan to lose," Ron told them, and Colin nodded firmly.

"Good luck, Ron," Colin smiled at him.

"Thanks, mate," Ron smiled back. "By the way, no study group tonight. The matches start right after classes."

"That's fair," Ginny nodded, looking rather relieved. "Best of luck, Ron."

"Thanks."

Friday 11th September, 1993 (Potions Class – Near Lunchtime)

"He's really not letting up on Longbottom today, is he?" Tracey whispered to Ron, who nodded as he stirred their Shrinking Solution. "Even I'm starting to feel bad for him…"

"I expected Professor Snape to be angry with him, but this is just wrong," Ron muttered under his breath, and Tracey nodded in agreement. It was no secret anymore that Neville had dressed 'Snape' in drag during D.A.D.A, and after Slytherin's epic loss yesterday, Snape had become nothing short of barbaric towards Neville.

At the very start of class, Snape had separated the Golden Trio. Harry and Hermione were forced to pair up on the other side of the room, while Neville was left with Finnigan, a Gryffindor who was infamous for causing fiery explosions. And then, Snape had begun to float around Neville like a shark. Every time Neville made a mistake, Snape would berate him and deduct a House Point. So far, Neville had lost well over twenty House Points, and was now close to tears. The Gryffindors were fuming, especially Harry and Hermione, while the Slytherins had lost their humor quite early on. The only two people who were enjoying this were Crabbe and Goyle, and Ron was moments away from throwing his boiling hot Solution in their faces.

"Another mistake," Snape hissed at Neville, his black eyes flashing with malice. "Add the roots after the Shrivelfig. One more point from Gryffindor for you lack of basic common sense."

"I'm sorry," Neville mumbled meekly, his watery eyes were fixed on his failing Potion. This is so wrong. Ron looked around the room, and he wasn't surprised to see that his friends were avoiding looking at Neville. Crabbe and Goyle were sniggering like a pair of children, but oddly enough, Malfoy was just staring at his Godfather with a blank look. What? He doesn't like bullies anymore? Well, take a good look. You used to do this to people for fun.

"Maybe we ought to do something?" Tracey whispered, and Ron blinked at her.

"Do what?" Ron asked, and she sent a pitiful look towards Neville. What am I supposed to do? Throw a Hex at Snape? He'll skin me alive.

"Leave it, foolish boy," Snape snapped at Neville, who was over-stirring his Potion. "Congratulations, Longbottom. I asked you to create a simple Shrinking Solution, and you managed to brew the World's deadliest poison. You are truly a Master of this craft."

"Maybe if you taught him properly, he'd get it right," Harry remarked, and Snape sneered at him.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Potter," Snape said coldly. "And detention on Sunday." Harry's face darkened at that, but Hermione quickly calmed him down by whispering something into his ear. Snape then looked back at Neville, his disgust apparent to all.

"The Gryffindors have lost over forty House Points in one lesson," Tracey whispered, and Ron nodded slowly. "I know that this is good for us, but still…"

"The lesson is nearly at an end," Snape said, and then his eyes flashed again. "Everyone gather around, and watch what happens to Longbottom's toad. If he managed to brew anything close to a Shrinking Solution, then his toad will shrink to a tadpole. But if not, his toad is likely to die from poisoning." What?!

"Merlin…" Tracey muttered, her eyes darting to the front of the class. The Gryffindors exchanged frightened looks, while Harry looked ready to tear out Snape's esophagus. Snape then took Trevor the toad into his palm, while Neville trembled with fear and panic. Fuck it!

"Tracey, move back," Ron whispered quickly, and Tracey blinked at him. "Now…" Tracey took a step back, and Ron quickly knocked their cauldron over. The cauldron fell with a loud clank, and the boiling hot Solution poured all over the floor. "Bloody hell!" Ron all but shouted, and every single eye darted towards him. "Sir, I spilled my Potion."

"Clean that up," Snape hissed at him, and Trevor hopped out of Snape's palm. The bell rang at that, and Snape looked utterly murderous.

"Sir, it's damaging the bench," Ron pointed out, and Snape blinked at him.

"Clean it up, Weasley," Snape billowed towards him, his face twisting with anger.

"I don't know how," Ron lied, and he spotted Neville quickly packing up his things from the corner of his vision. Hurry up, Neville. Leave your books, mate. Just take your toad and bolt out of here.

"Move," Snape snapped as he shoved Ron out of the way, and then with a flick of his wand, he cleaned up the entire bench. "Detention, Weasley. On Sunday. Now clean up the floor. There are sponges in the cupboard." Snape then turned to look at the Gryffindors, and much to his surprise, they were already leaving the room.

"Which cupboard, Sir?" Ron asked, and Snape turned around and towered over him. Yeah, now he's really pissed.

"Don't. Move," Snape grit out, and then he looked to the other Slytherins. "All of you are dismissed." The other Slytherins didn't need another incentive to get out of Snape's way, and before Ron knew what was what, the room was completely empty.

"I'll get the sponges," Ron said, but Snape cleaned the floor with another flick of his wand.

"You must think yourself so clever, Weasley," Snape sneered at him, and Ron smirked.

"I am pretty quick on my feet, aren't I?" Ron asked, he had no reason to act afraid anymore. "Trying to poison your student's pet? Really? Are you trying to get fired?"

"Mind your tone," Snape said icily, and then he walked over towards Neville's Potion. "Look at this garbage… How hard is it to follow simple instructions?" How hard is it to not be a bitter cunt?

"He'll tell the other Professors about this, and if he doesn't, then his House-mates will," Ron said, but Snape looked less than concerned. "You could get fired for this."

"I won't," Snape said rather bitterly, and then he cleaned out Neville's cauldron with Scourgify. "You, on the other hand, will serve a detention every single Sunday for the rest of the semester."

"I'm not doing that," Ron told him, and Snape cocked his eyebrow at Ron. "I have to tutor the first years on Sunday. They are making us a lot of House Points, and they're doing that because of me."

"Fine," Snape smirked coldly. "Every Tuesday then." Shite, he got me. That's one of my only free days.

"You were being cruel," Ron pointed out, but Snape just stared at him. "Even your Godson looked less than impressed with you. But you know who was enjoying your behavior? Crabbe and Goyle. So good job on that. You are the role-model of the boys who are beating your Godson every other day. Congratulations." With that, Ron picked up his books and left the Potions Classroom. A detention every Tuesday... Fuck. But you know what? I'd do it again.

Ron made his way towards the common room, his mood slightly soured by his endless string of detentions. But a huge part of him was rather happy with his actions. Snape was being a piece of shite bully, and Neville didn't deserve that. So if serving a detention every Tuesday for the foreseeable Future was the price of helping out his friend, then Ron would gladly pay it again.

"Pure," Ron said to the entrance, and it slid aside for him. Ron made his way into the common room, and he was instantly ambushed by the Triumvirate.

"There you are," Samantha said, her expression unreadable.

"Come with us," Clara added, and then the two girls began walking towards the Slytherin Potions Lab. Well… Hello to you too. Ron followed after them, and he couldn't help but notice that they didn't look very happy. Once they all entered the Potions Lab, Ron spotted Carey working on a Potion. Clara sat down on a nearby chair, while Samantha leaned against a wall.

"Is everything alright?" Ron asked, and Carey turned to face him. Merlin, she's sweating to death.

"Where were you yesterday?" Carey asked him, her voice was barely silky right now.

"Out of Hogwarts," Ron replied, his eyes darting towards Clara. They're pissed off. But what's that got to do with me?

"So you don't know about the second years?" Clara asked him.

"I do," Ron replied. "I heard this morning."

"Then you know that we're in a bind," Samantha said, she saw no point in beating around the bush. "Snape is livid with the second years, and with us for 'neglecting them'. So from today onwards, we're handing you the second years as well."

"What?" Ron blinked. I barely have time for the first years. "I… I can't do that."

"Excuse me?" Carey asked, her brow furrowing.

"I don't have the time," Ron replied, making sure to keep his composure. "I'm barely able to keep my eyes on the first years."

"You're a third year," Samantha frowned at him. "Why are you so busy?"

"I have… health issues," Ron replied, and the girls exchanged looks. "That's all I'm willing to say about that. Not to mention my own studies, and my work on top of that. I'm barely managing to keep my life in order here."

"I see," Carey said, her features softening a bit.

"You're not in trouble, are you?" Clara asked him, and Ron turned to see her looking rather concerned all of a sudden. She knows that I have scars. If she ever saw them, she'd probably keep her distance from me. "Health-wise, that is."

"I'm managing," Ron replied, and then he looked back to Carey. "I'm sorry, but I can't take them under my wing as well. Why don't you guys get Daphne, Theo, and Malfoy to do something about this?"

"Those three despise the second years," Samantha sighed. "Your friend Daphne has already threatened the girls, not that I blame her, while your friend Theo is far too selfish to care. As for Malfoy, he has his own problems." They know about his situation?

"His own problems?" Ron asked.

"Flint has it out for him," Carey said dismissively as she looked back to her Potion. They do know.

"Shouldn't you three help him?" Ron asked, and all three girls blinked at him. Shite, I'm getting involved again. "I mean, you banned in-House fighting, right? If Flint is targeting a fellow Slytherin, doesn't that count as in-House fighting?"

"Why this 'concern' for Malfoy, Ron?" Samantha asked him.

"It's not concern for him," Ron replied. "Snape is Malfoy's Godfather, and if you let this continue, then he might get even more pissed off." What am I doing?! Bloody hell, I can't believe that I'm helping Malfoy out like this.

"Well, it's a good thing that we don't know about this," Clara said rather coldly, and Ron blinked at her. "You won't tell him, will you?" Trust me, he already knows.

"I won't," Ron sighed. "I'm sorry that I can't help with the second years."

"It's alright, Ron," Carey said. "Just take care of your 'health issues'."

"We'll figure something else out for that lot," Samantha told him, and Ron nodded in understanding. "One more thing… How well do you think that your friends will perform tonight?" In the Dueling Club?

"Quite well," Ron replied.

"And you?" Clara asked him.

"I doubt that I'll lose," Ron replied truthfully.

"Good," Carey said, and then she walked over to him and cupped his cheeks. What is she doing? He couldn't help but think of what he had seen Clara do to Carey, and that made his face heat up. "Make sure that your friends win most of their matches. We can't afford another shameful display like last night's."

"We won't let you down," Ron promised, and Carey smiled at him.

"Good," Carey said softly, and then she planted her sweaty forehead against his. "We'll be watching you, Ron. Don't disappoint us." With that, Carey let him go and walked back to her Potion. Ron rubbed his forehead, and then he slowly left the Lab. I guess the pressure is on. I'd better tell the others about this. Ron then made his way towards his dorm, and once he was inside, he left his books on his bed before heading back out. Ron then made his way towards his friends' favorite spot, and sure enough, they were all there.

"So, how was it?" Tracey asked him as he walked up to them.

"I have a detention," Ron replied, and Tracey gave him a sorry look. "On every Tuesday for the rest of the semester."

"What?" they all asked together, and Ron shook his head tiredly.

"You can't be serious," Daphne said, she looked rather shocked for once.

"He's pissed," Ron sighed. "Want to head to the Great Hall?"

"Sure," Blaise said, he too was looking rather shocked for once. They all began making their way towards the Great Hall at that, but none of them were hungry after that Potions Class.

"Every Tuesday?" Pansy asked him, and he nodded. "That's horrible."

"Was it worth it?" Theo asked him.

"Definitely," Ron grinned, and his friends just looked at him with disbelief. "What? I saved Trevor the toad. That's a win in my books."

"You're mental," Millie shook her head, but then she smiled at him. "And brave. If that was Misty that Snape was trying to poison, then I'd be just as scared as Longbottom was. You did the right thing, Ron."

"You really did," Tracey smiled at him, and then she locked her arm with his. "Was it because I asked you to?"

"If I say yes, do I get a reward?" Ron asked, and she nodded. "Yes, Tracey, I did it for you."

"My hero," Tracey chuckled, and then she kissed his left cheek.

"Now it was definitely worth it," Ron sniggered.

"Did he say what you'll be doing in your detention?" Daphne asked.

"No," Ron replied. "He was too busy frothing at the mouth for that, but if I had to venture a guess, I'd say that I'll be cleaning the cauldrons. All the cauldrons."

"Ouch," Theo said.

"Ouch indeed," Ron said, but he wasn't really bothered. "By the way, the Triumvirate will be watching us tonight. They want us to win as many matches as possible."

"That makes sense," Blaise said. "They want us to help them save face."

"And if we lose?" Pansy asked, she looked rather worried all of a sudden. "Merlin, why did I join? I don't even like Dueling."

"You'll be fine," Ron smiled at her. "Why don't you and I practice together after lunch? We have two free periods because Astronomy isn't on until after dinner."

"What about us?" Theo asked.

"You don't need my help, Mr. Lightning," Ron smirked, and the others sniggered at Theo. "What do you say, Pansy?"

"It's a date then," Pansy smiled widely, and Ron gave her a nod. Daphne and Pansy need the most help. Tracey and Blaise can handle themselves, while Millie and Theo are pretty good. If I had to bet, I'd say that Millie is the best out of them. I'll work with Daphne and Pansy, and I'll also keep my eyes on Tracey and Blaise.

Friday 11th September, 1993 (The Great Hall – End of Lunch)

Lunch had been an odd affair. Ron had the misfortune of meeting Snape's eyes multiple times, and judging by the Potions Master's permanent scowl, Snape was not happy with him. The Gryffindors, on the other hand, looked rather pleased with him. Most of them were still sniggering at the Slytherin table, but the third years were sending him smiles and happy waves. Even Finnegan had given Ron a polite nod, which was something rather new.

"Do you guys want to head up to the Sanctuary now, or after the bell rings?" Ron asked his friends as they made their way out of the Great Hall.

"After the bell rings would be better," Theo advised, and the rest of them nodded.

"I wonder if the same rules apply to us as the second years," Daphne mused. Rules?

"What sort of rules?" Ron asked her.

"No explosive Spells, no Unforgivables, and you can't attack someone who has been disarmed," Daphne replied.

"What about physical contact?" Ron asked. Didn't Madam Roberts tell me that there were two kinds of Dueling Tournaments? One without any physical contact, and one with physical contact.

"It's allowed," Blaise replied, and Ron nodded slowly. "I know, it's rather odd, isn't it? They are encouraging physical contact during a Duel. Something feels off about this Dueling Club."

"Like what?" Pansy asked.

"Well, it's really rushed," Blaise replied. "The Professors didn't even have a basic structure for it until recently, and now they're rushing it on the Headmaster's orders."

"You make a good point," Theo agreed. "There's definitely something off about this whole thing. It's like Dumbledore wants people to join up. I mean, why else would the rewards be so high?" Shite, they're onto the old man's schemes. He probably wants everyone to be able to defend themselves in the war to come, and after my warning, he's taking on a firmer stance on this.

"I don't know about you, but I like that we can make physical contact," Ron said, and they all blinked at him. "I'll get to throw you lot around, maybe even throw a couple of punches for good measure."

"Can you punch Theo?" Tracey asked, and Theo frowned at her.

"Why me?" Theo asked.

"I don't know," Tracey shrugged. "I reckon you'll shatter into a million pieces if Ron hits you as hard as he can."

"I doubt he'll be able to keep up with me," Theo smirked arrogantly. "I'm as fast as lightning."

"And as dull as dirt," Millie remarked, making everyone snigger at Theo. They exited the Great Hall at that, but their way to the Dungeons was blocked by a bunch of Gryffindors. What's this?

"Thanks for saving Trevor," Neville smiled at him, and then he walked up and hugged Ron. Oi! Get off me! This is sexual harassment!

"No worries, mate," Ron said slowly as he patted Neville's back, and Neville took a step back. Ron could hear his own friends sniggering at him, while Finnegan and Thomas were whispering something to each other. "How's Trevor doing?"

"I left him in my room," Neville replied, he was still smiling widely. "He's a bit shaken up, but he'll be fine."

"You did a great thing, Ron," Hermione smiled at him, and he gave her a polite nod. "I told the others that you knocked over your cauldron on purpose."

"You saw me do that?" Ron asked, and she nodded quickly.

"That was heroic, Ron," Lavender cooed, while Parvati and Fay nodded their agreement. "I hope you didn't get into too much trouble."

"He's got detention with Snape every Tuesday for the rest of the semester," Theo told them, much to Ron's surprise. Why would he tell them that?

"What?" the Gryffindors asked, all of them going wide-eyed.

"He was… not happy with me," Ron replied, and the Gryffindors shook their heads.

"He shouldn't be allowed to teach," Harry hissed, he was definitely telling Sirius about this. "He's cruel, and pathetic." Ease up there. Snape clearly has issues, but he's one of the good guys. I think…

"Harry, you can't talk about a Professor like that," Hermione scolded him.

"Are you seriously defending him after what he tried to do?" Harry frowned at her, and Ron shot a quick look back to his friends. Should we leave? They seemed to have read his mind, because they all slowly shook their heads. MIND-READERS!

"I'm really sorry about your detentions," Neville apologized, his smile was now gone.

"Don't worry about it, Neville," Ron shrugged. "We're friends, and I wasn't going to let Snape kill Trevor. I'd definitely do it again."

"Thanks, Ron," Neville smiled a little, and then he gave Ron another quick hug. "Trevor says thank you as well."

"Tell Trevor that he shouldn't come down to Potions again," Ron chuckled.

"I think he knows that now," Neville gave a nervous laugh.

"We'd best be off to class," Hermione said, she was giving Ron a grateful smile. "Thank you for helping Neville like that."

"Please, don't worry about it," Ron said.

"We'll see you at the Dueling Club, Ron," Parvati smiled at him, and then the Gryffindors slowly departed for their Tower. All of them except for the Golden Trio.

"Ron, you should file a complaint against Snape," Harry said.

"Harry, it's over," Hermione frowned at him. "Ignore him, Ron. He's trying to make things worse by taking action against Professor Snape."

"Why are you defending him?" Harry demanded as he turned to glare at her. Ron exchanged a quick look with Neville, who was looking rather awkward right now. "He's a cruel bully, and he tried to murder Neville's pet. Who does something like that?"

"He wouldn't actually poison Trevor, Harry," Hermione said haughtily. "He's not insane." Maybe…

"How do you know that?" Harry snapped, and Hermione narrowed her eyes on him. This is so awkward. "You're just defending him because he put you in his 'exclusive club'."

"How dare you say that?" Hermione all but shrieked, and Neville let out a tired sigh.

"They've been going at it for almost an hour," Neville whispered to Ron. "You guys should head to your common room. I'll deal with this."

"Right," Ron nodded slowly, and then he gave Neville a firm pat on his upper arm. "Eternal friends?"

"Eternal friends," Neville smiled gratefully, and Ron began making his way past Neville.

"Sorry about your pet," Tracey whispered to Neville, who blinked at her in surprise.

"Thanks," Neville whispered back, and much to his surprise, Ron's other friends also gave him weak smiles.

"Hope he feels better soon," Millie said, and Neville gave her a shaky nod. Are they really showing sympathy? YES! Finally! Some bloody progress. I should've had Snape attempt toad murder last year. Ron and his friends made their way past Harry and Hermione, who were now arguing loudly with each other, and once they were on their way down to the Dungeons, Ron turned around and smiled at his friends.

"You lot were sympathetic," Ron cooed, and they rolled their eyes.

"His toad almost got murdered," Daphne huffed indignantly, but Ron's smile only got wider. "He deserves a break."

"I'm so fucking proud right now," Ron feigned clearing his 'teary' eyes.

"Why did you tell them about Ron's detentions?" Millie asked Theo, she had quickly decided to ignore Ron's teasing.

"He wants to earn favor with the Gryffindors," Theo shrugged. "Now they see him as a martyr, and a true friend to the Golden Trio." That… was really clever of him.

"Oh…" Millie muttered, and then she gave him a proud smile. "Well done, Theo."

"Thank you," Theo smirked.

"Thanks, mate," Ron said genuinely. "I didn't even think of that."

"I know, but since I'm here, you don't have to," Theo shrugged once again. "Should we head up to the Sanctuary instead? I want to practice my shields as much as I can."

Friday 11th September, 1993 (The Sanctuary – Mid Afternoon)

"Ow…" Pansy whined from the ground, and Ron quickly ran up to her.

"Pansy, I'm so fucking sorry about that," Ron apologized as he kneeled down next to her. "I thought that you were going to move out of the way."

"I tried," Pansy whined, her eyes were already getting watery. Oh no.

"Pansy, it's alright," Ron said softly, and then he helped her to her feet. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Pansy sniffled, her right shoulder was stinging rather horribly because of Ron's Stinging Hex.

"I'm really sorry," Ron apologized again, and then he hugged her as gently as he could. They were all practicing their own Spellwork, but Ron was working with Pansy because she had been extremely neglectful of Ron's tutelage. Somehow, the Sanctuary had been repaired completely, and Ron figured that he owed the Elves an apology. "Do you want me to heal your shoulder?"

"Yes," Pansy sniffled into his shirt. Ron then let go of her, and she pulled her robes aside to show him her bare shoulder. There was a rather thick welt on it, and Ron grimaced at the sight of his handiwork.

"Episkey," Ron chanted, and Pansy's welt slowly began to disappear.

"Ow…" Pansy whined again, she looked extremely miserable. "Can I have another hug?"

"Of course," Ron said as he hugged her again, and she clung to his chest with a lot more gusto than Ron had expected. "Feel better?"

"I do," Pansy replied as she nuzzled her face into his chest. I wonder if she's putting on an act in order to score free hugs from me, but at this point, I'm too afraid to ask.

"We should probably get back to it," Ron suggested, but Pansy refused to let go of him.

"Just a bit longer," Pansy hummed. "My shoulder still hurts." That's literally not possible. She's definitely trying to forgo her training. I might as well give her some tips right now.

"Don't be afraid of incoming Spells," Ron advised, and she nodded against his chest. "When you panic, you freeze. Just take a deep breath before the start of a match, and then be ready to move around."

"I'll get sweaty," Pansy said, and Ron bit back his frown. Don't be harsh with her. She's not like Theo or Blaise.

"Would you rather get a little sweaty? Or would you rather get hurt?" Ron asked with a gentle voice.

"Neither," Pansy replied.

"Smart-arse," Ron chuckled, and then he decided to go with a different approach. "Some guys like sweaty girls."

"Is that so?" Pansy giggled, and then she pulled her head back in order to look at him. "Do you like sweaty girls, Ron?"

"I don't mind them," Ron smiled down at her.

"Is that why you keep asking Daphne, Tracey, Millie, and me to train with you?" Pansy smirked. "You want to watch us sweat?"

"If I say yes, will you be upset?" Ron smirked back, and Pansy shook her head. "Then yes."

"Pervert," Pansy giggled. "What if we make a deal? I'll get nice and sweaty for you, and at the end of this, you show me your abs."

"Here we go," Ron sniggered, and then he let go of her.

"Just five seconds," Pansy said quickly. "All I need is five seconds."

"I don't even want to know what you mean by that," Ron chuckled. "Now let's restart. I'll throw Stinging Hexes at you, and you dodge them. No blocking with a shield, alright?"

"And then abs?" Pansy asked.

"No," Ron declined, and Pansy pouted miserably.

"You're being so cruel towards me lately," Pansy told him, but he just ignored her as he took a few steps back.

"Step back a bit, Pans," Ron said, and she stomped her feet before doing as she was told. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," Pansy frowned at him, and Ron brandished his wand. Ron then began firing Stinging Hexes at Pansy, and she squealed every time she jumped out of their way.

"Pansy, don't squeal like that," Ron said as he stopped his assault. "And don't jump so hard. If you throw yourself out of the way like that, you won't have time to move out of the way of the next Spell. Plus, you're only tiring yourself out. Just take small steps, and keep your wand up."

"Why can't I just use Protego?" Pansy moaned.

"You can, but then you'll get bogged down in one spot," Ron replied calmly. "Remember what I always say?"

"Only use it when you can't move out of the way," Pansy drawled.

"Exactly," Ron nodded, and then he aimed his wand at her. "Remember to take smaller steps, and keep that wand up for a counterattack." Ron then began firing more Stinging Hexes at her, and for the first few Hexes, she moved around properly. But then a Hex flew past her right arm, and she began panicking again.

"Protego!" Pansy chanted, and Ron's Spell shattered against her shield. Ron stopped firing his Hexes, but Pansy kept the shield up.

"Pansy, I've stopped," Ron said, and she slowly lowered her wand. "That was a good block."

"It was?" Pansy blinked, and Ron nodded.

"It's alright to panic sometimes, not to mention that you recovered well," Ron said, and Pansy's lips twitched upwards. Merlin knows that I put up a hundred shields when I first started. "Next time you block a Spell, try to counterattack immediately. You might catch out a greedy opponent this way. But if you're worried that they'll fire another one, try to start moving again. You don't want them to trap you in one spot."

"Alright," Pansy nodded, she looked rather pleased with herself. She likes to be complimented. I should give her more encouragement then. Why didn't I think of this earlier?

Twenty Minutes Later

Everyone was taking a break, and while Ron read Flitwick's book, Pansy told them all about her 'amazing footwork'. Theo and Blaise were rather hyped up for the Dueling Club now, while Daphne looked a bit more confident in herself. Mille had been helping her and Tracey practice their Shield Charms, while also teaching them to move around more often. Ron was rather proud of Millie for working so hard, it certainly made his job easier.

"The Baubillious Charm was first used as means to entertain the masses, but this Charm's offensive potential was first realized during the Centaur Uprising," Ron read in his mind. "The jet of white sparks can not only blind an opponent because of their intensity, but some wizards were able to fire bursts of lightning from their fingertips. Due to the Centaurs' heightened eyesight, this Charm was particularly favored by the wizards who were pushing them back."

"What are you reading about?" Daphne asked him, and Ron looked up at her.

"A Spell that I want to master," Ron replied with a smile.

"What kind of Spell is it?" Daphne asked.

"A Charm," Ron replied. "I'm going to go try it out now, actually."

"I'll come and watch," Daphne said, and Ron nodded slowly. What's she up to? Ron and Daphne then walked over to the dummies together, while the others discussed the upcoming matches.

"Daph, is everything alright?" Ron asked, and she nodded absentmindedly.

"Yes, Ron," Daphne replied. "You can start practicing if you want. I'll just keep you company." Right. She looks troubled about something.

"Daphne, what's bothering you?" Ron asked, and she blinked at him.

"Nothing," she lied, and Ron just stared at her. "What?"

"Daphne, I know when you have something on your mind," Ron told her, and then he gave her a reassuring smile. "Talk to me. Please?"

"I was just thinking about the matches," Daphne started, and Ron listened patiently. "They are completely random, so there's a slight chance that you and I could be facing each other. And if that happens, can you not embarrass me?"

"Embarrass you?" Ron asked, and she nodded weakly.

"I'm not asking you to let me win," Daphne said quickly, and Ron noticed that she was rather nervous. "I know that you'd hate that, but just don't go so hard on me. Please?"

"Daphne…" Ron started, but her nervous demeanor made him rethink his response. Don't be mean. She doesn't want people to laugh at her, and neither do I. "If I go up against you, I won't go all out."

"I know I'm asking for a lot," Daphne smiled weakly. "But thank you, Ron."

"It's alright," Ron smiled back. "There's nothing wrong with losing sometimes, Daph."

"That's rich coming from you," Daphne managed a full smile.

"I've lost plenty of times," Ron chuckled. "Have you seen how often the dummies knock me around?"

"At least a dozen times a week," Daphne noted. "Maybe you shouldn't fight several at once."

"Nah, that would be too easy," Ron waved a dismissive hand.

"So what's this Spell that you're trying to master?" Daphne asked.

"Baubillious," Ron replied, and Daphne blinked at him.

"The Spark Charm?" Daphne asked, and Ron nodded. "Ron, that's a first year Spell."

"I'm trying the Wandless variation," Ron told her, and she immediately got excited.

"Wandless Magic?" Daphne asked, and Ron smirked at her. "Go! I want to see it!" Alright then.

"Baubillious!" Ron chanted as he aimed his left palm at a dummy, but all he managed were a couple of pathetic sparks from his fingertips. "That's embarrassing…"

"Was that it?" Daphne asked, and Ron felt his ears burn.

"It takes a while to practice Wandless Magic, that's all," Ron said, sounding a little too defensive. What am I doing wrong? Ron quickly looked back at Flitwick's book, but he found no answers. Damn it. Maybe I should aim my fingers forward. "Baubillious!" Ron chanted again, and this time, he aimed his left fingertips at the dummy. His entire arm felt jittery for a second, and then white sparks fired out of his fingertips. They were rather useless, if Ron was being honest, but Daphne seemed to like them.

"Those were so much better," Daphne clapped excitedly. They barely traveled a meter forward before fizzling out. Didn't the book say that people could fire lightning out of their fingertips? I just need to keep at this. Don't give up so easily, Ron.

"Baubillious!" Ron chanted again, and once again, he managed showy sparks that did nothing of value.

"So you'll just keep doing this?" Daphne asked, and Ron nodded. "Won't you get bored?"

"I'm used to it," Ron shrugged. "I do this for an hour pretty much every night. Your body needs to get used to acting as a conduit, and mine is well on its way." Except Dumbledore mentioned that he mastered most of his Wandless Magic within a year. I've been at this for ages, and I can only perform four Wandless Spells. Maybe I should devote more time to training my Wandless Spellwork?

"Ron? Are you alright?" Daphne asked, and he blinked at her. "You looked kind of agitated just then."

"Just a little frustrated, that's all," Ron said, and she nodded in understanding. "I think I'll try another Spell."

"Alright," Daphne said, her eyes fixed on him. Which one should I attempt? Incendio? No, let's try Fumos. The Smokescreen Charm is easy enough to cast with a wand, so maybe it'll be easier than Baubillious.

"Fumos!" Ron chanted as he aimed his left palm at the dummy, but much to his shock, he began choking on something. Ron coughed loudly as he gasped for air, and then thick vapors of black smoke spewed out of his mouth.

"Ron?!" Daphne exclaimed, her eyes widening at the sight of Ron coughing out thick smoke. "HELP!"

"What… the… fuck…?" Ron coughed, and more smoke came out of his mouth. What the fucking fuck?! Ron bent over and coughed some more, and he felt Daphne patting his back rather firmly. His eyes began to sting, and by the time the others got there, Ron was able to breathe a little easier.

"What happened?" Blaise asked.

"He cast a Spell, and then he started coughing out this smoke," Daphne told them, and they blinked at Ron.

"What Spell?" Theo asked.

"Fumos," Daphne replied as she rubbed Ron's back.

"The Smokescreen Charm?" Millie asked, and Daphne nodded.

"How do you fuck up that Spell so badly?" Tracey asked, her eyes fixed on a keeled over Ron. You think I planned this? How the fuck would I know that?

"Wandless… variation…" Ron gasped, he was just glad that the smoke had stopped coming out of his mouth.

"Wandless variation?" Blaise asked, and Ron nodded. "You're trying Wandless Magic?"

"Trying being the operative word," Ron wheezed. "Not doing that again…" At least not today. I'll try Incendio next. Ron got back up on his feet, and he gestured Daphne to step back. Once Daphne was a safe distance away, Ron aimed his left palm at the dummy. "Incendio!" Ron chanted, and he felt his fingertips warm up, but nothing happened after that. "Fuck sake!"

"Are you doing it right?" Theo asked.

"I'll do you right," Ron snapped at him, and Theo sniggered. "Not that way, you sick twat."

"Whatever you say, lover boy," Theo laughed, and the others began sniggering. Ron, on the other hand, felt his temper flare. Stop distracting me.

"I want to practice alone," Ron glared at them, and they stopped sniggering immediately. "Leave. Now."

"Right," Blaise said, and then he quickly left. The others followed after him, but Daphne stayed behind.

"You as well," Ron told her, and she nodded meekly before scurrying away. I'm not leaving this room until I get at least one of these Spells right.

Friday 11th September, 1993 (The Great Hall – After Classes)

In the end, Ron hadn't managed to get any other Wandless Spell right. He had had partial successes, but in his eyes, partial success was just another phrase for failure. Was he frustrated? Yes. But he didn't plan to take his frustrations out on other people. He just had to keep practicing. Ron was honest enough to admit that he was a bit slower than the people around him, which simply meant that he had to keep working at something until he got it right. Even if that took weeks.

"I'm kind of nervous right now," Theo gave a nervous chuckle, and the others nodded their agreement. "What if I get paired up with Millie?" They were currently sitting on the conjured benches which were overlooking a giant circular arena in the middle of the Great Hall, all of them mentally preparing for their matches.

"Please let that happen," Millie prayed, and Theo frowned at her.

"Why must you be this way?" Theo asked her, but she simply shrugged with a smirk.

"Alright!" Remus yelled over the chatting students, and everyone went quiet. "Third years who signed up for the Grand Tournament, please come here at once." Ron and his friends walked down towards Remus, and they were soon joined by the other third years. Who didn't sign up for this? I think every third year is here. Ron spotted Snape standing just behind Remus, and the Potions Master was staring right at him. Is he still mad at me?

"Go over the rules, Lupin," Snape drawled, and Remus gave him a nod.

"Professor Snape and I will be refereeing today's matches," Remus started, and everyone listened intently. "Anything is allowed, with the exceptions being any sort of Blasting Curses and the Unforgivables. Physical contact is allowed, but I suggest that you keep the punching and kicking to a minimum. Your rank will be determined by your wins, and your skill in Spellwork. I can't emphasize how important that is. Winning alone won't net you a higher rank. You must show us that you belong in the higher tiers. Any questions?"

"Are the boys allowed to hit us girls?" Fay Dunbar asked. "Physically, that is."

"Yes," Snape glared at her, and she fidgeted in her spot. I think I'll refrain from doing that. I don't think any of these girls could take a punch from me. Millie maybe, but I'd rather not hit her either.

"Your names will be called out when it's your turn to Duel," Remus told them, and they all nodded. "Everyone will play five matches, and your opponents will be picked at random. If you are stunned, or disarmed, you lose the match. Winners will be disqualified if they attack a disarmed opponent. Understand?" Everyone nodded, and Remus smiled at them all. "Good luck, and do your best."

Five Minutes Later

Ron wasn't going to lie, he was rather disappointed with what he had seen so far. Even the Heads of Houses were getting bored, but they did their best to hide their tired gazes and yawns. Every Duel so far was the same; people constantly firing Disarming Charms and blocking with Protegos. There was no variation in Spells, no finesse, and no attempt at strategy… It was just an endless streak of people shouting 'Expelliarmus'.

"Hermione Granger and Lavender Brown, please come down," McGonagall announced, and Ron's head perked up.

"Granger's up," Tracey sighed in relief. "Maybe she'll do something other than the Disarming Charm."

"Keep your eye on her for any weaknesses," Ron advised his friends, and they all nodded. Hermione and Lavender stepped into the sand pit, both girls eyeing each other carefully.

"Take up positions please," Remus said, and both girls got into position twenty feet away from one another. "Ready? Begin!"

"Expelliarmus!" Lavender chanted, and Hermione quickly put up a shield. Lavender's Spell shattered against the shield, but the blonde girl quickly fired another Disarming Charm. And then another, and another. Hermione simply kept her shield up, and then with a sudden twirl of her wand, she Non-verbally disarmed Lavender. Non-verbal Magic. I forgot that she could do that. The crowd clapped for Hermione, especially because of her excellent use of Non-verbal Magic.

"That ended rather quickly," Theo noted. "She didn't even move an inch from her spot."

"She didn't have to," Blaise added. "She used the same strategy on Daphne."

"Blaise Zabini and Parvati Patil, please come down," McGonagall called, and Blaise got up and left.

"Good luck!" Pansy called after him, and he waved over his shoulder. Blaise and Parvati got into position, and Ron spotted Snape eyeing Blaise rather critically. This is the first Slytherin match-up.

"Ready?" Remus asked the Duelists, and they both nodded. "Begin!"

"Stupefy!" Blaise chanted, while Parvati fired a Disarming Charm. Blaise was quick enough to move out of the way, but Parvati caught the stunner with her face. The pretty brown girl was sent flying backwards, and she landed rather harshly on the sand. OW! The Slytherins exploded with cheers, while the Gryffindors groaned and called for 'foul'.

"Bloody hell, that was quick," Theo sniggered, while Ron stood up a bit to look at Parvati's unconscious form.

"Is she alright?" Millie asked, and Ron shook his head.

"She's out cold," Ron informed them. "She took a stunner to the jaw…" While Madam Pomfrey woke Parvati up, Blaise walked back to his friends with a victorious smirk.

"Nice work, Blaise," Pansy clapped excitedly, and he sat down beside her. "You just got Slytherin House its first win!"

"Good on you, mate," Ron said as he patted Blaise's back from behind, and Blaise smiled gratefully.

"Theodore Nott and Gregory Goyle, please come down," McGonagall called, and Theo's face lit up.

"Goyle!" Theo grinned at his friends. "Easy win!"

"Just don't get caught by him," Tracey said, a hint of worry in her voice. "He'll snap you like a twig."

"I'm way too fast for that," Theo sniggered, and then he ran down to his position.

"He's way too excited," Millie whispered to Ron, who nodded in agreement. "If he lets his guard down, he'll get hurt."

"Goyle certainly wants to hurt him," Ron noticed, his eyes fixed on Goyle's nasty smirk.

"Ready?" Remus asked them, and both boys nodded. "Begin!" Theo went to cast a Spell, but Goyle began charging straight at him. What the fuck?!

"Colloshoo!" Theo chanted, and a snot-like substance fired out of his wand and onto Goyle's right foot. The burly boy toppled forward because of his rooted foot, and he slammed face first into the sand. Every student in Hogwarts burst into laughter, including Theo.

"Match!" Remus yelled over the crowd, Goyle had dropped his wand when he fell. Snape was just staring at Goyle with utter disbelief as Madam Pomfrey quickly moved in to heal his nose, and Theo took the opportunity to bow to the laughing crowd. Even the Gryffindors were clapping as they laughed at Goyle. Theo then made his way back to his friends, looking far too pleased with himself.

"That was fucking brilliant," Ron laughed as Theo approached them, and the rest of them said similar things to Theo.

"Great use of the Sticking Hex, Theo," Tracey sniggered, and Theo smiled a little more widely.

"Thanks," Theo said as he took his seat. "What was he trying to do?"

"I think he wanted to jump on you," Pansy giggled.

"Going straight for the kill, eh?" Theo joked, making his friends laugh again. That was pure genius at work!

"Daphne Greengrass and Harry Potter, please take your positions," McGonagall called, and Daphne tensed at Ron's side.

"Potter?" Daphne muttered under her breath, though her expression remained neutral.

"Just do your best, Daph," Ron whispered to her, and she nodded before leaving for her position. This is going to be good, I think. Ron wasn't going to lie, some part of him was already fretting like a little girl. If Daphne got hurt during this Duel, Ron knew that he was going to snap.

"Ready?" Remus asked Daphne and Harry, and they both nodded. "Begin!"

"Expelliarmus!" Daphne chanted, and Harry quickly dodged it and fired a Stinging Hex at her. Daphne moved to the right before counterattacking with her own Stinging Hex, but Harry was simply too nimble. Damn athlete. Stay still. Harry dodged Daphne's attempts to disarm him with relative ease, and occasionally he fired his own Disarming Charm. Daphne managed to dodge them, but just barely. Harry's aim was far too good, and Ron figured that sooner or later, Daphne was going to get hit.

"Flipendo!" Harry shouted as he hopped out of the way of Daphne's tenth Stinging Hex, and much to Daphne's surprise, Harry had aimed the Knockback Jinx at her feet. In a moment of panic, Daphne jumped up to dodge the Spell, but Harry immediately fired another Knockback Jinx at her. The yellowish-blue Spell hit Daphne when she was still airborne, and she was sent flying back. The moment her back hit the sand, her wand escaped her grip. Ron's chest tightened a bit, and he was standing up before he knew it. Is she alright?!

"Match!" Remus called, and the Gryffindors erupted into loud cheers. The other Houses clapped for Harry as well, but the Slytherins didn't really make an effort.

"Did you see how she bounced a bit when she hit the ground?" Tracey asked, her face paling slightly. "I think she's hurt." Ron just watched Daphne with a slightly panicked look, but once Madam Pomfrey helped her to her feet, he saw that Daphne was relatively unharmed. The Greengrass Heiress picked up her wand, and she walked back to her friends with her head held high.

"Are you alright?" Ron asked immediately, and she nodded firmly.

"That sand is softer than it looks," Daphne told them, and they all relaxed immensely. Daphne then sat down beside Ron, who was still eyeing her carefully. "Ron, I'm perfectly fine. Potter has a great aim. I think he made sure to hit me in the chest so that I landed on my back."

"So you're fine?" Ron asked anyway, and Daphne nodded. "Good."

"You held on for a while there," Millie smiled at Daphne. "Some really good dodges there, Daph."

"Thanks," Daphne gave Millie a polite nod. She's a bit embarrassed. Ron scooted closer to her, and he noticed that she relaxed a bit more because of his closeness. Should I put my arm around her? I really want to, but the whole school is here. "Did you see me, Ron? I kept my left side safe."

"I did," Ron smiled at her, and then he lightly rubbed her back. There. That'll have to do for now.

"Draco Malfoy and Neville Longbottom, take up your positions," McGonagall called, and Ron's eyes darted straight to the arena. The Gryffindors began cheering for Neville rather loudly, and Ron could see Harry and Hermione yelling through cupped hands. Malfoy, on the other hand, had no one cheering for him. The pale boy simply walked into the arena and took his position, his expression completely neutral.

"Is it just me, or does Malfoy look really… subdued?" Daphne whispered in Ron's ear, and Ron nodded his agreement.

"Are you both ready?" Remus asked the two boys, and the both nodded. "Begin!"

"Expelliarmus!" Neville chanted quickly, and a scarlet jet of light flew out at Malfoy. Malfoy stepped aside and fired his own Disarming Charm, and Neville lunged out of the way. What was that?! That's the same shite that Pansy was doing!

"Expelliarmus," Malfoy drawled as he fired another Disarming Charm at Neville, and by the time Neville saw it coming, he had barely any time to move out of the way. Neville once again lunged out of the way, and Malfoy once again fired another Disarming Charm at him.

"Don't jump so hard!" Harry yelled over the crowd, but Ron knew that it was over. Neville was quickly tiring himself out, while Malfoy was just calmly throwing Disarming Charms at him.

"Malfoy's playing with him," Blaise told the others, and they all nodded. C'mon Neville… Fight back. Stop jumping around like that.

"Expelliarmus," Malfoy chanted once again, but this time, he fired another two Jinxes in quick succession at Neville's next spot. "Tarantallegra, Cantis." Neville got hit with both the Dancing Jinx and the Singing Jinx, which in turn made his legs start dancing frantically while he also began singing a song from the Weird Sisters at the top of his lungs. The Slytherins burst into wild laughter, and even Ron and his friends couldn't hold back their sniggers. The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs started laughing as well, while Snape smirked coldly at Neville. The Gryffindors were just glaring at Malfoy angrily, and judging by Harry's dark look, they all had ill intentions towards the Malfoy Heir.

"Anteoculatia," Malfoy chanted, and two massive antlers sprang out of Neville's forehead. Bloody hell. He's definitely taking revenge on Neville for dressing his Godfather in drag. Malfoy then hit the dancing Neville with a Bat-Bogey Hex, and Neville screamed/sang as a couple of bats crawled out of his nostrils.

"Match!" Remus called as he moved in-between Neville and Malfoy, while Snape's lips curled up at Neville's tormented form. Malfoy simply lowered his wand, and after giving Neville a cold glare, he walked back to his lonely seat at the back of the Slytherin stands. It didn't really matter to him that his House-mates were cheering him on, he had set out to embarrass Longbottom the same way Longbottom had embarrassed his Godfather. They were now even.

"He's still dancing," Blaise said, his voice filled with humor. Ron barely held back his own sniggers as Remus and Madam Pomfrey tried to undo the Hexes on Neville. He didn't drop his wand. He should've dropped his wand. Now he looks like a retarded reindeer.

"Ronald Weasley and Michael Corner, please come down," McGonagall called, and Ron stood up.

"Good luck," Daphne shot him a quick smile, and he gave her a wink. Ron then made his way down to the arena, and he spotted the Triumvirate watching him. Ron and Michael took their spots, and Ron could see the nervousness on Michael's face. That's right, mate. I'm going to destroy you.

"Are you ready?" Remus asked them, and Ron nodded as he stared at Michael's wand hand. What's with that flimsy hold? Oh, I know what to do. "Begin!"

"Expe-"

"Accio wand!" Ron chanted quickly as he aimed his left palm at Michael's wand. The wand flew out of the Ravenclaw's left hand, and it went straight into Ron's left hand. Michael just stared at his empty hand, while everyone else just gaped at the display of Wandless Magic.

"Match," Snape smirked, while Remus just blinked at Ron. The Slytherins suddenly began cheering loudly, and Ron could hear his first years above them all. Ron tossed Michael his wand back, but the jarred boy failed to catch it. The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs began applauding as well, while only a few Gryffindors applauded Ron. Ron shot a quick look towards the Gryffindors, and much to his joy, Percy and the twins were clapping as hard as they could. Ginny, Harry, Hermione, and Neville were just staring at him in disbelief, and oddly enough, that pleased Ron even more.

"You can go back to your seats," Remus said, his eyes glued to Ron. Ron just smiled at him, and then he walked back towards the Slytherin stands. It didn't take very long for the first years to encircle him, all of them talking above each other.

"Ron, that was amazing!"

"Do you even need a wand, mate?!"

"When will you teach us that?!"

"You'd better win all of your matches!"

"Behave," came Carey's voice from behind them, and they all stopped yelling at Ron immediately. Carey then looked to Ron, and a small smile formed on her lips. "Well done, Ron. Wandless Magic at thirteen… You're definitely going to be in Rank A."

"Thank you," Ron smiled at her, it felt nice to be complimented like that.

"First years, go back to your seats," Carey ordered, and they nodded quickly before running back up the stands. "Don't let them distract you right now. You promised to win every match."

"And I will," Ron assured her.

"Trust me, I believe that now more than ever," Carey smirked, and then she walked back to her friends. Ron waved at Clara and Samantha, and once they waved back, Ron made his way up to his friends.

"You had to show me up, didn't you?" Theo smirked, and Ron grinned at him.

"Couldn't help myself," Ron laughed as he sat down beside Daphne.

"That was brilliant, Ron," Daphne whispered, and Ron scooted closer to her. Am I a bit too close to her right now? Maybe. But I don't care.

"Thanks, Daph," Ron smiled at her.

"You two mind if we join your conversation?" Tracey sniggered.

"We do," Daphne huffed, her lips twitching upward.

"Lovebirds," Pansy grinned.

"Jealous?" Ron asked, and she nodded with her grin in place.

"Padma Patil and Lisa Turpin, please come down," McGonagall announced, and everyone turned their attention back towards the arena. Ron once again began rubbing Daphne's back, and she scooted even closer to him.

"Not afraid to get caught," Daphne whispered, a playful smirk on her face.

"Right now, I'm not afraid of anything," Ron smirked, an odd sense of empowerment flowing through him. We are beyond them all.

One Hour Later

Ron's name still hadn't been called, and he was starting to get annoyed. A part of him was wondering if the Professors had taken his name out of the raffle because of his display of Wandless Magic, and if that was the case, the least they could do was to tell him. As for his friends, all of them had played a few more matches.

Blaise had gone up against Fay and Ernest Macmillan, and won both matches. Millie had gone up against Finnegan, Parvati, and Morag MacDougal, and won all three matches. Daphne had gone up against Sue Li, and Hannah Abbot, and won both matches. Pansy had gone up against Lavender, and Susan Bones, and barely won both matches. Tracey had gone up against Lisa Turpin, Morag MacDougal, and won both matches. Theo had gone up against Susan, and Dean Thomas, and won both matches. So far, the Slytherins had the most wins out of all the Houses, much to Snape's delight.

"Ronald Weasley and Seamus Finnegan, please come down," Flitwick called, he had subbed in for McGonagall. Finally!

"About time you got off your arse," Theo smirked at him.

"I know right?" Ron chuckled, and then he quickly made his way down. The Slytherins were clearly keen to see what Ron had up his sleeve, while Finnegan and the Gryffindors eyed Ron carefully. Ron even spotted Finnegan tighten his hold on his wand, which made Ron smirk a little. I'll spend some time showing off my knowledge on various Spells this time. Just to win favor with the Heads of Houses. I want to be sorted into Rank A.

"Are you two ready?" Remus asked them, and they both nodded. "Begin!"

"Expelliarmus," Finnegan chanted quickly, and Ron stepped to his left and fired his own Disarming Charm. "Protego!" Finnegan yelled at the top of his lungs, and Ron's Spell shattered against the shield.

"Petrificus Totalus," Ron chanted, and Finnegan blocked that as well. He's not moving. I should target his feet. "Locomotor Mortis." Finnegan's shield was unable to block the low blow, and he panicked when his legs got tied together. Finnegan mumbled something under his breath as he fell forward, and a bright blue light fired out of his wand. It took Ron a quarter of a second to realize that Finnegan had fired an Expulso Curse at him, and he immediately raised his own shield. But that shield was blown to smithereens, and Ron was sent rolling through the sand.

"STOP!" Remus yelled. "STOP THE MATCH!"

"He bloody used an explosive Curse!" Ron heard Fred yell, while the Slytherins quickly started yelling for disqualification. Ron sat up, his head spinning, and he looked down at his hand. Still have my wand. Nice. Ow… My back…

"Are you alright?" Snape asked him, and he looked up to see that the Potions Master had rushed to his side.

"I blocked it in time," Ron replied, and then he slowly stood up with Snape's help. "He fired an explosive Curse at me, Sir."

"Indeed," Snape hissed, something dangerous shifting behind his eyes. "Finnegan!"

"It was a mistake, Sir!" Finnegan told them quickly. "I swear!"

"He's a bloody cheat!"

"No explosive Curses, that's the rule!"

"Disqualify him!"

"Silence!" Remus yelled over everyone, and people slowly piped down. Ron looked towards his friends, and he saw just how pissed they all were. Bloody Finnegan. What the fuck was that? Ron then looked to see Snape and Remus talking to Finnegan, who was constantly saying that 'it was a mistake'.

"Ronnie, are you alright?!" George yelled from the Gryffindor stands, and Ron nodded at him.

"You sure?!" Percy yelled as well, and Ron nodded again. My ears are ringing. Fuck me, I could've gotten really hurt just then.

"Mr. Finnegan has been warned not to do it again, or he will be permanently disqualified from the Dueling Club," Remus announced, and the Slytherins started yelling again. Ron even noticed some Ravenclaws and Hufflepuff calling for Finnegan's disqualification. Snape looked around the room, and then he smirked at Remus.

"If a Slytherin had done that, you'd have kicked them out immediately," some fourth year Slytherin yelled, and the Slytherins yelled out their agreements. That's kind of true. If we had done that, it would be seen as malicious intent.

"Then show them malicious intent, Champion," the Entity hissed in the back of his mind, and Ron turned his head and cracked his neck.

"Enough!" Remus yelled once again, effectively silencing the whole room. "Ronald, are you fit to go on?"

"Yes, Sir," Ron smiled at Remus, who just blinked at Ron's calm demeanor. Ron then took his position, and he eyed Finnegan with a dead stare.

"Seamus, take up your position," Remus said, and the Irish boy did so. As Ron stared at Finnegan, he saw the Gryffindor's lips twitch upwards for a second. I see now. He enjoyed watching me roll through the dirt. I bet he feels really powerful right now. "Are you both ready?" Remus asked, and they both nodded. "Begin!"

"Flipendo!" Finnegan chanted, and Ron quickly ducked and cast the Disillusionment Charm on himself. Finnegan's jaw dropped as Ron disappeared from sight, while the Slytherins started cheering again. It was an odd feeling; watching so many people who couldn't see you. The Ravenclaws were already whispering to each other, while the Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors shared Finnegan's reaction.

Ron slowly began moving, making sure to take only one slow step at a time. Finnegan's eyes darted everywhere, and then he began throwing out Charms and Jinxes in all directions. Ron simply moved like a cat, avoiding all Spells because of his low stance. And then, Ron got close enough to grab Finnegan's right forearm with his left hand. The Gryffindor froze from fright because Ron was suddenly looming over him, and before he could rip his arm free, Ron pulled his head back and slammed his forehead into Finnegan's face. The sickening crunch brought a smile to Ron's face, and Finnegan fell on the dirt with a dull thud. He was completely knocked out.

"Merlin!" Remus exclaimed, and then he ran up and crouched by Finnegan's side.

"I'm sorry, Sir," Ron said calmly, and Remus looked up at him with a slightly frightened look. "It was a mistake." With that, Ron left for the Slytherin stands. No one applauded for a few seconds, and then the Slytherins slowly started clapping. No one from the other Houses joined them, and even their applause died rather quickly. Ron didn't really care though, he was just happy to put a cheat in his place.

"You have some blood on your forehead, Ron," Daphne sighed as Ron sat down by her side, and then she quickly took out a handkerchief. Ron took it from her with a smile, and he wiped his forehead clean.

"I heard his nose break from up here," Theo muttered, and the others nodded slowly.

"Did you really have to go that far?" Millie asked slowly, and Ron just stared at her.

"He nearly blew me into pieces," Ron replied, and she nodded meekly. "I showed him mercy. Believe me, I could've done far worse." Ron then looked back to Finnegan, who was now awake and being tended to by a frantic Pomfrey. "See? He's fine. And the next time we go against each other, he won't dare to cheat."

"I don't think that anyone will," Blaise remarked, once again feeling rather scared of being around Ron. Time to wait for my next match. Hope it won't take an hour again.

"Hermione Granger and Theodore Nott, please come down," Flitwick said, and Theo shot up to his feet.

"Good luck," Tracey waved him off, and Theo walked down to his position quickly. This is going to be quite good. Ron spotted Hermione looking up at him with a furrowed brow, and Ron cocked his eyebrow at her.

"Why is she eyeing you like that?" Pansy frowned down at Hermione.

"Because he hurt her precious cheater of a House-mate," Daphne scoffed. "Ignore her, Ron."

"Hope she doesn't take her anger out on Theo," Blaise added.

"She's not like that," Ron said, still staring at Hermione.

"Hermione, take your position please," Remus said, and Hermione stomped over to her spot.

"Are you sure about that?" Millie asked Ron, and he slowly shook his head. I don't think I am. Ron leaned forward in his seat, his eyes fixed on Theo. Please be careful, mate.

"Are you both ready?" Remus asked, and they nodded. "Begin!"

"Expelliarmus!" Theo chanted, and once again, Hermione put up her shield. Theo's Spell shattered against it, and the weedy boy frowned at Hermione.

"Here we go again," Blaise sighed.

"Incendio! Expelliarmus! Stupefy!" Theo fired three consecutive Spells, and Hermione simply blocked them. "Densaugeo! Stupefy! Stupefy! Colloshoo!" Hermione stayed rooted in her spot, and her shield wasn't even cracked yet. Bloody hell, is her Shield Charm really that powerful? "Loco-"

"Petrificus Totalus!" Hermione suddenly chanted, and Theo froze mid-Spell. And then, he toppled to his side.

"Match!" Remus exclaimed, and the Gryffindors erupted into applause at seeing Theo's winning streak end.

"How do you counter that nonsense?" Daphne asked, and Ron shrugged.

"It's a solid defense, and she is as patient as they come," Ron replied. "Her Shield Charm is extraordinary."

"It's not very Gryffindor-like," Tracey remarked, her eyes fixed on Hermione. "She just hides behind that shield like some coward." Not a coward. She's using her brain to outsmart people who are faster than her. She's a bookworm, and she knows that she can't outrun Theo. Her only weakness is the ground beneath her feet, but getting a Spell past that shield is damn near impossible. Madam Pomfrey unfroze Theo, and the weedy boy walked up to his friends with a rather defeated look.

"You did your best, mate," Ron said quickly, but Theo didn't look too happy to hear that.

"That damn shield…" Theo muttered, and then he dropped into his seat. "What the fuck was I supposed to do? She can't be beaten…"

"You've still won three out of four," Tracey said gently as she rubbed his back, but Theo just looked miserable.

"Tracey Davis and Daphne Greengrass, please come down," Flitwick called, and the two best friends went wide-eyed. Oh shite. Is this really happening?

"Ohhh!" Pansy cooed, looking all too excited.

"Let's go, Daph," Tracey managed a weak smile, and Daphne nodded slowly. As Tracey began to walk down to her position, Ron quickly signaled Daphne to watch her left. Once Daphne and Tracey were in their positions, their friends just watched them quietly.

"Are you both ready?" Remus asked, and they both nodded. "Begin!"

"Stupefy!" Daphne chanted, and Tracey ducked under the stunner before firing her own stunner. Daphne quickly moved to her left, while Tracey rolled to the side and sprang back up. NICE! That recovery was amazing!

"Did you see that?" Theo laughed, his bad mood already forgotten. "That roll was awesome!"

"Incendio!" Tracey chanted, and a wave of fire went flying towards Daphne.

"Protego!" Daphne chanted, and the fire washed over shield.

"Expelliarmus! Stupefy! Incendio! Stupefy!" Tracey yelled as she began to bombard Daphne's shield, and much to Daphne's horror, she saw that her shield was starting to crack. "Stupefy!"

"Expelliarmus!" Daphne chanted as soon as the stunner shattered her shield and went past her head, but Tracey easily sidestepped it.

"Stupefy!" Tracey fired another stunner, and Daphne once again jumped to her left.

"Colloshoo!" Daphne chanted, and with a slash of her wand, she sent snot-like glue at Tracey in an arc.

"Protego!" Tracey quickly chanted, and her shield got covered with the foul substance.

"Stupefy! Stupefy!" Daphne chanted quickly, and two quick stunners slammed into Tracey's shield. "Expelliarmus!" As the Disarming Charm fired out of Daphne's wand, Tracey did the unthinkable. The slender girl broke her own shield and dived forward, and Daphne's Disarming Charm flew over her head.

"Locomotor Mortis!" Tracey chanted from the ground, and Daphne jumped to her left again. But this time, Tracey fired a quick stunner at her best friend in advance. The scarlet jet of light hit Daphne in the chest, and she was sent flying back. Ouch!

"Nice," Blaise nodded, he looked quite impressed.

"Match!" Remus called, and Tracey quickly got up and ran over to Daphne's side.

"They had a nice Duel," Millie noted, and the others nodded their agreement. Daphne might not be too happy that she lost. But you know what? Tracey did work harder than her.

"Hopefully there's no hard feelings between them," Pansy sighed. "Daphne hates losing."

"She's going two for four at the moment, and that's not so bad," Millie said, while Ron watched Madam Pomfrey reawaken Daphne. The blonde witch got back to her feet with Tracey's help, and both girls walked back to their seats as people applauded them.

"Here," Tracey said as she helped Daphne into her seat, and Daphne gave her a weak smile.

"Thanks," Daphne muttered, and Tracey took her own seat.

"You both fought well," Theo told them, and the others gave the girls their best smiles.

"You alright?" Ron asked Daphne, and she nodded.

"I landed on my shoulder," Daphne said, her face pinching from pain. "Nice dive, by the way."

"Thanks," Tracey smiled widely. "It hurt my chest though."

"Want a massage?" Theo asked, and both Millie and Tracey smacked him. "Sorry!"

"Ronald Weasley and Sue Li, please take your positions," Flitwick called, and Ron stood up with a grin. Finally!

"I forfeit!" Sue Li yelled out from her seat, and Ron blinked at her. What the fuck? Is she serious?

"Are you sure, Sue?" Remus called out to her, and she nodded fervently.

"I forfeit!" Sue Li yelled again, and then she sat back down with her Ravenclaw friends.

"Add a win for Ronald Weasley," Snape said to Flitwick, who nodded before doing so. Ron sat back down slowly, he didn't even know what to think. I waited for ages…

"That right there is the power of fear," Theo began sniggering, and Blaise smirked at Ron.

"I'm doing the same thing if I'm up against you, by the way," Blaise told him, and Ron gave him a deadpan look.

"Why? We'd have a great match," Ron said.

"No, we wouldn't" Blaise shook his head.

"Actually, we all plan to forfeit against you," Pansy pointed out.

"Speak for yourself," Millie scoffed, and then she smiled at Ron.

"Thank you, Millie," Ron smiled back at her. "I hope we get paired up then."

Twenty Minutes Later

Ron still hadn't had a turn yet, but he waited patiently. Ron's only worry right now was that his next opponent would forfeit out of fear, so he desperately prayed to be paired up against a Gryffindor. Blaise had just won his match against Terry Boot, which had made his win-streak four out of four. Tracey had lost one match to Padma Patil, which had ended her win-streak at three. And crazily enough, Pansy had beaten Justin Finch-Fletchley and managed to win three out of three so far. Ron had never seen her so smug before.

Ron was just glad that the Slytherins were dominating today, it fulfilled his promise to the Triumvirate. And Snape was looking quite pleased too, while Flitwick and McGonagall's moods were souring. As for Pomona Sprout, she was handing out fresh orange slices and sweets to all the third years.

"Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson, please come down," McGonagall called, she had once again taken over the raffle.

"Kick his arse, Pansy," Ron smiled widely, and she nodded with a weak smile. She doesn't want to, does she?"

"Be careful," Millie advised Pansy. "He's unbeaten so far. Longbottom, Ernest, and Justin didn't stand a chance against him."

"I beat Finch-Fletchley too," Pansy said, and then she walked down with Malfoy.

"Are you both ready?" Remus asked them, and they both nodded. "Begin!"

"Expelliarmus!" Pansy chanted, and Malfoy stepped to his left with a bored look.

"He's like a zombie," Tracey frowned. "What's with that dead expression?" He's numb. That's what happens when you're constantly a target. He only fears Flint for now. I became numb too when the Entity kept hurting me.

"Stupefy," Malfoy chanted, and as Pansy moved to her right, he immediately fired another stunner at her. Pansy shrieked as she jumped out of the way, and Ron smacked his own forehead. There she goes. "Stupefy, Expelliarmus, Stupefy, Expelliarmus." Pansy jumped back and forth with a frightened look, while Malfoy just fired Spell after Spell with a tired look. And then, Pansy's wand shot out of her hand and landed near Malfoy's feet.

"Match!" Remus said, and Ron let out a tired sigh.

"She panicked… again," Ron shook his head, while the others gave Pansy sorry looks. Malfoy bent down and picked up Pansy's wand, and then he walked over and handed it to her. Pansy took it quietly, and as soon as she had it, Malfoy began walking up to his lonely seat. Pansy followed after him quietly, and she sank down in her seat with a pout.

"Sorry," Pansy mumbled.

"What for?" Blaise asked her.

"For losing like that to him," Pansy sighed, and Ron reached forward and patted her back.

"You did your best," Ron told her, and she managed a weak smile. "You can't always win."

"Daphne Greengrass and Michael Corner, you're up," McGonagall called, and Daphne sprang to her feet.

"Good luck, Daph," Ron smiled at her, and she smirked.

"I've got a scheme," Daphne told them, and then she quickly walked down to her position.

"A scheme?" Tracey sniggered.

"If she wins this, it'll be three out of five for her," Millie noted, and Ron smiled at that. Those are good numbers.

"Are you both ready?" Remus asked them, and they both nodded. "Begin!"

"Stupefy!" Michael shouted, and Daphne jumped to her left and threw out her own stunner. While Michael dodged that, Daphne cast the Disillusionment Charm on herself. SHE STOLE MY MOVE?! Wow…

"That little thief," Tracey started laughing, while the Slytherins began cheering. Michael looked genuinely baffled, as did Remus. And then, a scarlet bolt flew out of nowhere and smacked Michael's wand out of his hand.

"Match!" Remus called quickly, and Daphne reappeared with her Ice-Queen persona in place. The Slytherins kept cheering for her, while Ron let out an earsplitting whistle. Daphne walked back to her seat with a refined look, all the while nodding at her cheering House-mates.

"That was great!" Pansy beamed at Daphne, and Daphne gave her a soft smile.

"You stole Ron's move," Tracey laughed. "I'm so proud of you."

"I figured that I could cast it too, so why not?" Daphne shrugged as she sat down beside Ron, who was just beaming at her like a moron. "Three out of five is pretty good, right?"

"It is," Ron nodded, and Daphne smiled a little more widely.

"Tracey Davis and Harry Potter, please take your positions," McGonagall called, and Tracey groaned a bit.

"Unbeatable Potter," Tracey sighed, and then she got up and left for her Duel. Harry's three for three so far. Daphne, then Susan, and then Hannah Abbot. Whereas Tracey's won three out of four. This is her last match.

"That's the fourth girl that he's gone up against," Theo frowned.

"What's wrong with that?" Millie asked him, and both Blaise and Ron sniggered at Theo's frightened look.

"Nothing at all," Theo said quickly, and Millie narrowed her eyes on him.

"Are you ready?" Remus asked, and both Harry and Tracey nodded. "Begin!"

"Stupefy!" Tracey fired a stunner right off the bat, but Harry easily dodged it and fired one of his own.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry chanted, and while Tracey dodged his Disarming Charm, Harry quickly began firing stunners in succession. He's pretty damn fast for someone who never trains. Guess all that Quidditch practice does pay off.

"Protego!" Tracey chanted, deciding that she couldn't keep dodging his well-aimed stunners. Harry sped up his stunners even more as he began advancing on her. He's closing the distance? Wait… He wants to cut the time it takes his stunners to hit her shield. She's done for if she doesn't move.

"Stupefy! Stupefy! Stupefy!" Harry fired stunner after stunner, and unfortunately for Tracey, her shield broke under his constant pressure. The slender girl took a stunner to the face, which pretty much sent her back-flipping through the air. And then, she landed roughly on her neck.

"Trace…" Daphne muttered, her face losing all of its blood.

"Match!" Remus called, and then both Harry and Remus ran over to check on Tracey. Bloody fuck. Is she alright? That landing must've hurt.

"Step aside, Potter," Snape pulled the boy out of Pomfrey's way, who quickly checked Tracey over. And then she began healing Tracey's neck.

"That piece of shite," Theo grit out, while everyone else just stared at Tracey.

"Rennervate," Madam Pomfrey chanted, and after a bright red light, Tracey slowly stirred out of her unconscious state.

"She's alright," Remus announced, and her friends relaxed considerably. The Gryffindors began cheering for Harry at that, but the Boy-Who-Lived looked less than pleased with himself. Tracey got up with Pomfrey's help, and then she slowly walked back up to her seat. She still looks dazed.

"Tracey, are you alright?" Daphne asked immediately, while Ron shifted over. Daphne pulled Tracey down in-between herself and Ron, her arm quickly wrapping around her droopy friend.

"I don't even know what happened," Tracey mumbled, and then she slowly shook her head. "Ugh… My head's all fuzzy…"

"Potter hit you in the head with a stunner," Blaise told her, and Tracey blinked at him.

"That explains the headache," Tracey groaned, and Ron put his arm around her as well.

"Just breathe," Ron advised, and Tracey nodded weakly.

"I'll get you some water," Theo said, and then he quickly left for Professor Sprout's refreshment stand.

"There are only a handful of people left who haven't finished their matches yet, so please give us a few minutes while we sort them all out," Remus announced, and everyone started discussing the matches so far. I still have two matches left.

Twenty Minutes Later

The Heads of Houses and Remus had quickly put together the last few pairs, and then the matches had recommenced. Blaise had won his final match against Wayne Hopkins, and scored a perfect run. Millie had secured her fourth win in a row against Lavender. Pansy had gone against Fay Dunbar in her last match, and ended up losing. And Theo had secured four out of five matches after he bested Ernest Macmillan. As for Malfoy, he had lost his final match against Padma Patil. So far, the Slytherins were easily dominating the matches tonight.

"Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, please take up your positions," Flitwick called, and Ron drew in a deep breath. Just my fucking luck. I'll end this quickly, and I'll make damn sure to not hurt her again.

"End her win-streak, Ron," Theo said firmly. "She ruined mine."

"It's her last match, make sure that you beat her," Daphne ordered, and Ron nodded as he made his way down.

"Good luck, Ron!" Tori yelled from the back somewhere, and Ron smiled to himself. As Ron stepped into the arena, the Slytherins began cheering him on. Ron turned around and started waving at them with a grin, and Remus quickly walked up behind him.

"Ron, can I have a word with you?" Remus asked, and Ron turned to face him.

"Sure, Professor," Ron nodded.

"No physical contact," Remus said, and Ron blinked at him. "Please, Ron. She'd get hurt if you hit her."

"Handicapping my student, Lupin?" Snape sneered as he joined them, and Remus shot Snape a pleading look.

"Severus, he'll hurt her horribly if he uses even half of his strength," Remus said. "Ron, please stick to Spells only."

"As much as I don't agree with this, Lupin is correct," Snape said icily, and Remus looked genuinely shocked.

"I'll stick to Spells only," Ron promised them, and Remus looked visibly relieved. I already know how I'm going to beat her. Tom Riddle's ghost gave me some rather neat advice before Petrifying me. The Levitation Charm bypasses shields and Magic Rings. Ron walked over to his position, and he noticed Hermione looking between him and Remus suspiciously.

"Anything I should know about?" Hermione asked him.

"I'm not allowed to touch you," Ron said, he knew that that would anger her. Might as well get in her head. It might make her lose focus.

"What? Why?" Hermione frowned at Remus, but he simply raised his hand to silence her.

"We make the rules, Hermione," Remus told her, and her frown deepened. "He's twice your size, and he'd hurt you if he's not careful."

"I can take care-"

"Shut up," Snape snapped, and Hermione flinched a bit. "Lupin, start the match."

"Right," Remus sighed. "Are you both ready?"

"Yes," Ron said, while Hermione gave an angry nod.

"Begin!" Remus announced.

"Stupefy!" Ron chanted, and just as predicted, Hermione raised her shield once again. Ron quickly aimed his palm at the sand under her feet, something that made Hermione focus on strengthening her shield. "Wingardium Leviosa!" Ron chanted, and then he flung his left hand up. The sand below Hermione's feet shot up violently, and Hermione shrieked out of fright. "Stupefy!" Ron chanted as her shield broke because of her lack of focus, and Hermione took the stunner to her gut.

"Match!" Remus called as Hermione landed on her back. Good. She didn't land too harshly. The Slytherins erupted into wild cheers, and Ron heard multiple loud whistles.

"Five bloody seconds!" someone yelled.

"That's twice he's won that quickly!" another Slytherin shouted, and Ron recognized that voice. John. The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs began applauding as well, some of them were just relieved that Hermione was still in one piece. Ron turned his focus towards his House-mates, and their loud cheers brought a smile to his face. I didn't hurt her this time. I did well. I did the right thing. Ron began making his way up to his seat, and he ignored his House-mates patting him down from excitement.

"You did great, Ron," Daphne smiled proudly, and Ron's smile widened. I know. She won't even feel sore from that.

"Five seconds," Theo chuckled. "Remember when I said that her defense couldn't be beaten? Well, I was so bloody wrong."

"How did you get past her shield like that?" Millie asked.

"Levitation Charm bypasses shields," Ron replied. "Tom Riddle taught me that before Petrifying me."

"He did?" Tracey asked slowly, and Ron nodded.

"And you remembered that?" Blaise asked.

"I don't forget my losses," Ron shrugged as he sat down beside Tracey. "How do you feel now, Trace?"

"Much better," Tracey smiled at him.

"Good," Ron smiled back, and his friends noticed that something was off.

"Ron, are you alright?" Pansy asked, and he nodded.

"I am," Ron replied, but for some reason, his gut was still feeling tight from worry. I didn't hurt her this time. Just calm down already.

"Millicent Bulstrode and Neville Longbottom, please come down," Flitwick called, and Millie quickly left for her last match.

"Longbottom's won one match so far," Theo noted.

"She's going to destroy him," Blaise figured, and they all nodded in agreement. Millie and Neville took up their positions, and judging by Neville's fidgeting, he was clearly nervous about his own last match.

"Are you both ready?" Remus asked them, and they nodded. "Begin!"

"Expelliarmus!" Neville chanted, and Millie easily dodged the Spell. For a big girl, Millie was surprisingly nimble. Ron figured that unlike their friends, Millie wasn't scared of taking a hit. Therefore, she didn't panic and overdo her dodges.

"Stupefy! Stupefy!" Millie chanted back to back, and Neville barely managed to dodge her well-aimed stunners.

"You've got this, Nev!" Harry shouted from the Gryffindor stands. "Don't dodge so hard!"

"Shut up, Potter!" some Slytherin yelled, and Snape silenced his House with a glare.

"Locomotor Mortis," Neville chanted shakily, he was clearly losing his nerve against Millie.

"Protego!" Millie chanted, effectively shielding her legs. Neville quickly went to cast another Spell in order to bog her down, but Millie dropped her shield without a second thought and fired a stunner at him. Neville's eyes widened for a moment, and then he was sent reeling back into the sand.

"Match!" Remus called, and Millie smirked as she sheathed her wand. Five for five. Millie began walking back to her seat as her House-mates cheered loudly for her, and she gave them nervous smiles for their support.

"Well done, Mills," Ron smiled at her as she approached them, and she smiled a bit more comfortably.

"Five for five," Theo smirked at her. "That's my witch." Millie snorted at that, and then she rolled her eyes at him.

"Sod off, you creep," Millie chuckled as she took her seat, and Pansy quickly clung to her side.

"You've been amazing tonight, Millie," Pansy cooed, and Millie patted Pansy's head gently.

"Thank you, Pansy," Millie smiled at the raven-haired girl.

"You mother and father will be quite proud of your performance tonight," Blaise told her, and she gave him a slow nod.

"Thank you, Blaise," Millie said.

"Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter, please come down," Flitwick called, and the whole room went silent. "This is tonight's final match…" Flitwick clearly realized now why everyone had gone silent, this matchup had happened last year as well. And it hadn't been pretty.

"Ron, keep your anger in control this time," Daphne said firmly, and Ron gave her a nod. I'll do my best.

"Break his-"

"Shut up, Theo," Pansy frowned at the weedy boy.

"Good luck," Blaise waved him off as he walked down towards his position.

"Go Ron!" Tori cheered, and the first years joined in quickly. It didn't take long for his entire House to start cheering for him, and Ron took in a deep breath. This is just another match. Just enjoy it. Remain calm, and make sure that you don't hurt him. Ron smiled widely as he looked back over to his House-mates, and they began to cheer even more loudly. The Gryffindors cheered with equal gusto for Harry, while the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws simply watched both boys intently.

"Take up your position, Ron," Remus said, and Ron turned around with a smirk. As Ron walked towards his position, he shot Harry and the Gryffindors an analytical look. Harry had a resolute look on his face, and he was watching Ron's every move carefully. As for the Gryffindors, they all harbored mixed expressions. Most of them were watching Harry with genuine panic and concern, and this included Ron's own sister and Neville. As for the rest of them, they were eyeing Ron carefully.

"End his streak, Ron!" Theo yelled, and the Slytherins all started shouting again. "Five for five, mate! You've got this!"

"Teach him a lesson, Harry!" Dean Thomas yelled, and the Gryffindors began shouting as well.

"Quiet!" Remus yelled, gesturing the audience to calm down. The shouting died away slowly, and once it had, Remus looked between both boys. "Are you both ready?"

"I'm ready," Harry said with a firm nod.

"Yes, Sir," Ron said calmly, his eyes fixed on Harry. He's quick. I need to hit him with a Spell that covers a lot of ground. Otherwise, he'll just keep dodging for hours.

"Begin!" Remus announced, and Harry immediately fired a stunner. Shite, he's faster than me.

"Protego!" Ron chanted, and the stunner slammed against his shield.

"Stupefy! Stupefy!" Harry shouted, throwing stunner after stunner at Ron's shield. C'mon, Harry. Close the distance like you did with Tracey.

"Move, Ron!" someone shouted, but Ron simply ignored them. Madam Roberts, this one is for you.

"Stupefy! Expelliarmus!" Harry chanted as he began to move forward, his expression was nothing but focused. Ron's shield began to crack slightly, but he kept waiting patiently. And then, Harry was around ten feet away from him.

"YAGH!" Ron yelled as he pushed his shield forward, and much to Harry's shock, the shield fired forward in a cone shape. The Slytherin erupted into cheers and whistles as Harry was sent tumbling through the sand. "Brachium Colubrum!" Ron chanted, and as Harry was trying to get back up, an ethereal serpent shot out of Ron's left hand and it seized Harry's wand arm and throat. End of the line, Harry.

"Those are the Dark Arts!" some Gryffindor yelled, and Ron glared up at the stands. "He's cheating!"

"All Jinxes, Hexes, and Curses are classified as the Dark Arts, moron!" Ron yelled, and the Slytherins burst into laughter. Dumb cunt. Ron then looked back to Harry, who was looking rather panicked because of the serpent crushing his arm and throat. Ron turned his left hand upwards slowly, and Harry groaned loudly before his wand slipped out of his hand.

"Match!" Remus yelled, and Ron banished the serpent immediately. Harry keeled forward and began coughing and gasping for air, while Remus did his best to help the boy. The Slytherins howled and cheered loudly, while the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs applauded Ron's strategy. Ron raised his arms at his sides as he basked in his House's cheers, he could easily hear his first years shouting his name over and over again.

"Well played, Mr. Weasley," Snape whispered as he walked up behind Ron. "That shield trick… That's an Auror tactic. How do you know how to do it?"

"I fought an Auror once," Ron whispered back, and Snape blinked at him. "I'll tell you later, Sir."

"Right," Snape nodded, his lips curling up as he looked towards Harry, who was still gasping for air. "Go to your seat. I need to make sure that Lupin doesn't give his degenerate Gryffindor the win because you used the Dark Arts." Didn't he forbid me from using it once? He totally did. Odd that he doesn't seem to care now.

"It's a Curse, and it is legal," Ron said. "If he does cheat me out of my win, I'll go straight to Dumbledore." Ron looked towards Harry at that, and then he looked towards the Gryffindors. Some of the older students were glaring at him, whereas the younger students seemed to be quite impressed with him. That's right. I'm the strongest wizard in my year. Not Harry Potter. Ron's eyes drifted towards Ginny, Hermione, and Neville. While Hermione and Neville were watching Harry with a bit of worry, Ginny was glaring at Ron.

"Your sister wished for Potter to win?" Snape asked, he too had spotted the Ginny's angry glare. It was rather difficult not to.

"She has a crush on him," Ron chuckled coldly. "Pathetic, right? She's happy to watch her own blood fail against a boy who doesn't even know anything about her." Perhaps We should teach her a lesson in loyalty? Yes… Yes, We certainly should!

"Potter looks fine now, you should return to your seat," Snape said, and Ron left without another word.

"Well done, mate!"

"Brilliant!"

"That ghostly snake is bloody terrifying!"

"Good job showing him up like that!"

"Five wins out of five matches! Congratulations!"

"I didn't know you could use the Shield Charm as a weapon! Genius, mate!"

"Thanks," Ron said repeatedly with a smile as he walked up to his seat, he had definitely seen the Triumvirate smiling at him as well. I am a man of my word.

"That concludes tonight's matches," Flitwick announced. "Please exit the Great Hall so that we can return it to normal in time for dinner. The Grand Tournament's ranking matches will continue tomorrow after breakfast. Well done to the third years for a marvelous showing. Prefects, please help Professors Snape and Lupin in leading people out safely."

Friday 11th September, 1993 (The Courtyard – An Hour before Dinner)

Ron was lying on the ground with his head in Daphne's lap, and he smiled involuntarily as she played with his hair. Their friends had clearly noticed just how close they were acting all of a sudden, but neither Ron nor Daphne cared. Ron figured that she was more than happy to show her affection for him in public, whereas he planned to be dating her by the end of the weekend anyway. Their friends hadn't made any comments about their closeness, but Pansy was occasionally shooting Tracey a greedy smile.

"Which rank you think that they'll put me in?" Theo asked the group.

"Rank D," Tracey replied.

"C'mon, be serious here," Theo sighed. "I won four out of five, and I showcased a decent knowledge in Dueling. I reckon I deserve to be in at least Rank B."

"I reckon they'll put Millie and Blaise in Rank B," Pansy stated. "They both won all of their matches, and they never lost the upper hand in their Duels."

"But I only lost to Granger, and everyone knows that she's mental about her studies," Theo said.

"Ron beat her in five seconds," Daphne piped in, she sounded extremely happy about that fact.

"Ron doesn't count," Theo waved a dismissive hand, and Ron chuckled with his eyes closed.

"That's just mean," Ron said, though he didn't really mind Theo's comment.

"Plus, Granger wasn't even Dueling," Theo scoffed. "She was hiding behind her shield the entire time."

"If it works, then it hardly matters what she was doing," Blaise shrugged. "Her strategy was good, no one can deny that."

"I know one person who's going to land in Rank D," Tracey sniggered. "Longbottom."

"Poor bloke," Ron frowned a bit. "He's had a horrible day so far."

"True," Daphne nodded, she was still playing with Ron's hair. "First Snape tries to murder his toad, and then Malfoy turns him into a joke. Did you see how some of his own House-mates were pretending to be reindeers around him?" McLaggen and his lot. They'd better leave him alone.

"Is that Luna?" Millie asked, and Ron's eyes opened immediately. "Hello, Luna."

"Luna!" Pansy squealed, and Luna gave Ron and his friends her usual airy smile.

"Mind if I join you?" Luna hummed, and Pansy quickly patted the spot by her side.

"Come here," Pansy smiled widely, and as soon as Luna sat down, Pansy had her arms around her.

"She's not a-"

"Hush, Ron," Pansy poked her tongue out at him, and then she kissed Luna's right cheek. "Did you enjoy watching the matches, Lu?" Lu? Wow.

"I did," Luna said, and then she gave Pansy a casual kiss in return. Pansy began giggling like a little girl, much to everyone's amusement. "You were all great."

"Thank you," Blaise smiled at her, which was odd because Blaise hardly ever smiled.

"Wasn't I amazing?" Theo asked Luna, and she nodded.

"I think Millie was my favorite," Luna said airily, and Millie grinned at her friends.

"What about me?" Ron asked with a soft smile.

"I already expected you to win, big brother," Luna hummed, and Ron chuckled. Big brother? I like it. "Though I wish that you didn't hurt Seamus like that. That was rather scary."

"Cheaters deserve to be punished," Ron said casually. "Especially cheaters who try to blow you into a million pieces."

"I'm glad you blocked in time, Ron," Luna said genuinely. "All the Ravenclaws got really scared for you."

"Bloody Finnegan," Theo frowned.

"Don't swear near her," Tracey shushed him.

"I know swear words," Luna shrugged.

"Luna, no," Ron said quickly. "We're not repeating that again. My heart can't take it."

"Then I should definitely do it," Luna giggled.

"Ouch," Ron feigned hurt, and then he smiled at her from Daphne's lap.

"Luna, is there a reason why you're here?" Daphne asked her, and Luna nodded.

"Ginny is really angry with you, Ron," Luna told him, and all of Ron's friends rolled their eyes. "I saw her arguing with Percy about you just now. She says that you should be disqualified for using the Dark Arts against Harry." Great. Why is she doing this? I'm her bloody kin for Merlin's sake.

"That girl…" Daphne hissed, her fingers tightening in Ron's hair.

"Ouch, Daph," Ron complained, and she quickly relaxed her hand. "Don't punish me because of her…"

"Sorry," Daphne smiled down at him, and then she looked back to Luna. "Is she trying to find Ron?"

"They all are," Luna replied, and then she snuggled into Pansy hug. "I figured that I'd just give you all a warning."

"You did so well," Pansy cooed. "Lu, can I style your hair?"

"My hair?" Luna asked, and Pansy nodded with a greedy smile.

"I bet I could make every boy fancy you," Pansy said.

"And I could castrate them," Ron added.

"Shush, Ron," Daphne poked his chest with her other hand. "Luna, ignore your brother please. He's just needy." Me? Needy? Oh wait… That's true.

"Ron, I see your brothers," Millie said quickly, and Ron turned his head to the side. The twins spotted Ron and his friends, and they grinned at him. As they were making their way towards the Slytherins and Luna, Ron spotted an angry Ginny and an annoyed Percy follow after the twins. Here we go.

"I should go and speak to them," Ron tried to sit up, but Daphne yanked him back into her lap. Um… Alright then.

"You're not going anywhere," Tracey said firmly, there was no humor in her voice right now.

"If she wants to scream at you, then we'll be right here as well," Millie told him.

"Ronnie!" Fred greeted him, and then he looked towards Daphne. "I hope his big head isn't hurting your legs too much."

"Also, we knew it!" George grinned, and Ron felt Daphne tense a bit.

"Congratulations, little bro," Fred smiled more genuinely, and Ron smiled back.

"Thank you, Fred," Ron said.

"Wandless Magic at thirteen," George gave Ron a wink.

"Brilliant!" they said together, and Ron felt his ears burn.

"That last Spell though," Fred started, his smile wavering a bit.

"You're still practicing the Dark Arts?" George asked.

"All the time," Ron replied, and his brothers lost their smiles. "I'm kidding, but truth be told-"

"Can I speak to you, Ron?" Ginny interrupted him, and then she blinked at the sight before her. Why was Ron's head in Greengrass' lap? "So you're really dating her?"

"Are we dating?" Ron asked Daphne.

"Not that I'm aware of," Daphne replied, and then they both looked to Ginny.

"Whatever," Ginny spat out. "I want to talk to you."

"Ginny, just stop it," Percy caught up to her. "You're disturbing him."

"Disturbing him?" Ginny frowned at Percy, and then she laughed coldly. "Oh, I'm sorry. Lord Weasley, may I speak with you please?" Wow. Ron wasn't going to lie, it genuinely hurt him to hear Ginny speak like that.

"I didn't know that the second years were taking classes on how to be bitches," Theo remarked, and Ginny gaped at him.

"Theo, mind your tongue," Ron frowned at him, and then he slowly stood up.

"Careful, Nott," the twins warned the weedy boy, but he didn't look too bothered.

"Ginny, stop making a scene," Percy told her, but she ignored him.

"You used the Dark Arts against Harry," Ginny accused Ron. "He had you, and so you cheated."

"He didn't have me," Ron rolled his eyes. "I let him fire out those stunners on purpose. Don't forget what I did to him last year." He had me? That little girl wouldn't last five seconds if I got serious.

"Ron…" Percy sighed. "Don't say that."

"Seamus is turning everyone against Harry, Hermione, and Neville because of what you did to him," Ginny snapped. "They're paying for your sins because they're your 'friends'."

"Did you really have to hurt Seamus like that?" Percy asked Ron. Yes, I did.

"Bollocks," Fred hissed.

"Finnegan tried to blow Ron up," George added.

"Ronnie, don't listen to them," the twins said. "We'll be teaching that Irish twat a lesson ourselves."

"You two…" Percy hissed. "I'm done with your antics. I've already owled mother and father, so expect their response."

"Maybe we should go somewhere more private?" Ron asked his siblings.

"Ron," Blaise said, and Ron met Blaise's eyes for a second. Or not.

"You should do the right thing and tell Professor Lupin to give Harry the win," Ginny said harshly. "You used Evil Magic to beat him. How could you do something so vile?" Keep calm, Ron. She's your sister, and she's just angry.

"All Jinxes, Hexes, and Curses are considered the Dark Arts," Daphne said as she stood up by Ron's side. "Tell me, Ginevra… Are you angry because your brother won with a Curse? Or are you angry because his Curse looked like a serpent?"

"No one is talking to you, Greengrass," Ginny hissed. "Sod off."

"Mind how you speak to her, Gin," Ron warned her. "My friends have been nothing but kind towards you. Disrespect them, and I might feel inclined to teach you some manners." No one speaks to her that way. No one.

"Ron…" Percy frowned at him, but Ron stared right through a shocked Ginny.

"I beat Harry because I'm better than him, and that's that," Ron told her. "I shouldn't be penalized just because it hurt your fragile sense of what's right and wrong. As for Finnegan… Tell him to leave the Trio alone, or a broken nose will be the least of his problems."

"Well said," Fred nodded. "The part about Finnegan, not Harry."

"That was a little harsh," George added.

"There, all is settled," the twins said together.

"This angst filled showing has been brought to you by the Weasley siblings," Fred said to Ron's friends.

"Please support us in the Future," George chuckled, and Tracey released a snigger before quickly closing her mouth.

"Ginny, why are you siding with Harry over Ron?" Percy asked her. "Even Harry doesn't care that much about his loss…"

"Hermione though…" Fred whistled.

"She's utterly devastated," George told everyone.

"Five second win," the twins suddenly grinned at Ron, and Fred quickly ruffled his hair.

"That trick with the sand was brilliant!" George laughed.

"It was, wasn't it?" Ron smiled, the twins being on his side was making him blush a bit.

"Clever use of the Levitation Charm, Ron," Percy agreed with the twins, and then he looked to Daphne. "And nice Disillusionment Charm. That's a N. E. W. T level Spell."

"We can all do it," Millie piped up, and Percy looked quite taken aback. "Ron taught us."

"Did he?" Percy smiled warmly at his brother. "Good on you lot. There is nothing more important than learn-"

"Snore," Fred rolled his eyes.

"We have a proposition for you lot," George said, and Percy glared at him.

"No, you don't," Percy hissed.

"Right, keep feeding his ego," Ginny snapped, her eyes narrowing on Ron. "Maybe mum and dad were right when they tried to pull you out of Slytherin. The Ron I knew would never use the Dark Arts to cheat his way to victory." What cheating? I spend more hours a day training myself at Dueling than Harry spends studying a week. I earned that win.

"Does the word loyalty mean anything to you?" Blaise asked her, and Ron shot him a glare.

"Don't," Ron said, and Blaise raised his hands in surrender.

"What would you lot know about loyalty?" Ginny scoffed. "You're all about self-preservation anyway."

"Enough, Ginny," Percy frowned, and then he grabbed Ginny's arm and dragged her away.

"Let go of me!" Ginny yelled, utterly appalled that Percy was laying his hands on her. "I'll tell mum!"

"Don't worry, I'm owling her right now," Percy said darkly, while everyone else just watched quietly.

"Shite, he's actually angry now," Fred sighed. "George?"

"We should definitely clear his room of our traps," George nodded.

"Congratulations again, Ron," the twins said together, and then they both bolted for Gryffindor Tower.

"Come on, Ron," Daphne whispered. "Lie back down." I didn't cheat. How could she say that to me? "Ron, don't think too hard about this."

"Yeah, mate," Theo joined Daphne. "She's just… Yeah, I've got nothing…"

"She's having trouble adjusting to who you are now as compared to who you were when you were younger," Luna hummed, and Theo snapped his fingers at her.

"Lu, you're so smart," Pansy smiled lovingly. "A Ravenclaw through and through."

"Ron, please lie down," Daphne whispered again, and Ron slowly did as he was told. Countless hours of hard work, and she thinks that I bloody cheated. Was I cheating when I used Wandless Magic too? Fucking hell. How is that fair? Daphne pulled his head back down into her lap, and she felt him relax a bit when she started scratching his head.

"Are you alright?" Tracey asked Ron.

"I'm fine," Ron replied, though he wasn't too sure himself. Ginny clearly prefers Harry over me, and why wouldn't she? She's idolized the Chosen One since she was in diapers. What am I compared to Harry in her eyes? Nothing. I'm just the brother who took her spot with the Trio. And now I'm a cheat.

"She'll cool down, Ron," Luna assured him, and Ron simply closed his eyes. I'm tired. I didn't even take my second dose of medicine today, and now I can't because everyone is here.

Friday 11th September, 1993 (Snape's Office – After Dinner)

Dinner had been quite fun for the Slytherins, especially because their House had dominated the matches. The older students were openly praising the thirds years, while the Triumvirate were eyeing Ron in a way that made his heartbeat increase. As for the rest of the Houses, the Gryffindors were the only ones in a bad mood. Not counting Harry and Hermione, who had both won four out of five matches, the third years had taken quite a thrashing. The Hufflepuffs didn't believe in discouraging each other, while the Ravenclaws had done quite well for themselves. Ron was just glad that no one was mocking his House anymore, and that his friends were being praised by everyone. In his eyes, they deserved it completely.

Once dinner had ended, Snape had marched down to Ron and asked to speak with him in private. And when Snape 'asked' to speak with you, the answer could only ever be yes. Ron was actually quite grateful to Snape for dragging him away, mostly because Hermione and Ginny were staring at him with sour looks. Hermione was definitely angry that Ron had beaten her with little to no effort, while Ginny was still fuming about him 'cheating' against Harry. Oddly enough, neither Harry nor Neville seemed the least bit upset. Which only proved to Ron that women were barmy.

"You did well today, Ron," Snape said as he closed the door behind them.

"Thank you, Sir," Ron smiled at him, and Snape frowned a little. "You're the only person who doesn't like my smile."

"I see no point in 'smiling' needlessly," Snape drawled as he walked up to his seat, and then he gestured Ron to sit down.

"Thank you," Ron said as he took his seat, and once Snape was also seated, Ron smiled at him again. Ha! He's frowning again.

"Your friends did much better than I expected," Snape admitted. "Tell me, how often do you all practice together?"

"They barely ever do it, but they're quick studies," Ron replied. "Whereas I practice a lot."

"And it shows," Snape smirked. "Your victory against Granger was truly inspiring."

"Five seconds," Ron grinned, and Snape's lips twitched upwards. And I didn't hurt her. She landed rather softly on that sand. No injuries whatsoever. "I could've beaten the others just as fast, but I figured that I'd show the Professors my 'Spellwork'."

"You will be placed in Rank A," Snape told him, and Ron pumped his fist into the air. "Don't do that again."

"Sorry," Ron laughed.

"We are still discussing the other students, but you were signed up for Rank A the moment you disarmed Mr. Corner with Wandless Magic," Snape informed him, and Ron nodded along. "I expect you to win this Tournament, Ron. And the others."

"Is it because you want me to succeed in life?" Ron joked.

"I want you to secure those House Points," Snape said, he wasn't even fazed by Ron's joke. "And this Dueling Club will provide you with a lot of experience. Experience that you will need in the Future."

"The war," Ron nodded.

"Indeed," Snape said. "I imagine that Albus and I won't always be around… And when that happens, you might be called upon to lead the Order."

"Don't say that," Ron said quickly.

"It is what it is," Snape said calmly. I can't accept that. We can always change things for the better.

"What about Harry?" Ron asked. "Won't he lead the Order someday?"

"Albus is fixed on Potter," Snape said coldly. "Far too much time has been devoted on that foolish boy. I would prefer to leave you in charge."

"Really?" Ron blinked, and Snape nodded. "I… Thanks…"

"You work to better yourself every day, while Potter lazes about and barely passes his classes," Snape drawled. "To me, the choice is an easy one to make."

"Harry doesn't have my visions pushing him forward," Ron said, but Snape scoffed.

"He knows that he's the Dark Lord's enemy, that should be motivation enough," Snape countered, and Ron nodded in understanding. "If he's wasting his time now, what makes you think that he won't waste the Order's time down the line? No, I will convince Albus to look to you instead. There can be no half-measures, not anymore."

"How is the Headmaster?" Ron asked. "He still hasn't returned from Albania."

"I imagine he's putting out fires as we speak," Snape drawled, and Ron chuckled tiredly. Get it? Fires. "This Gaia Project has drained the entire country's resources. I don't need to tell you just how troublesome this is, do I?"

"No, you don't," Ron shook his head. "Is Minister Fudge really buggering everything up?"

"He's making promises that he can't afford to keep," Snape hissed.

"Why?"

"He wants political alliances," Snape rolled his eyes. "Those alliances won't mean anything when his own Ministry turns on him. Be wary of shortsighted fools, Ron. They are the bane of people like us." Like us? As in equals? Ron had to bite back his happy smile, but Snape noticed his lips twitching upwards.

"You think that highly of me?" Ron asked.

"Sometimes," Snape admitted. "Your strength of character is impossible to deny, especially in regards to the Entity's influence in your life. Not many people could face such evil, and walk away stronger for it. But saying that, you still have a long way to go. You need to discipline your mind, boy. Your mind must be as cold as ice, but as strong as steel. Which is why I plan to start training you in Occlumency on Tuesday."

"Occlumency?" Ron asked excitedly, and Snape gave him a curt nod.

"It will be difficult because I can't use Legilimency on you, but I believe that it will truly benefit you," Snape replied, and Ron smiled from ear to ear. "And at the very least, it will give you a defense against the Entity." A defense?

"In my mind Hogwarts?" Ron asked, and Snape nodded. "Great. I'm all for that."

"Excellent," Snape said. "We will use your 'detentions' as cover."

"You sly snake," Ron chuckled, and Snape smirked. "Did you plan all of this?"

"No," Snape replied. "I only thought of it a few hours ago. At first, I truly did plan to punish you, but your words… They got to me. Draco was clearly upset with me, and as much as I hate to admit it, that got to me as well."

"He's starting to understand that bullying people for no reason is wrong," Ron shrugged. "After all, Flint is doing the same thing to him."

"He has taken it rather horribly," Snape admitted. "I think I've made a mistake with his 'lesson'. I underestimated just how entitled and privileged he was, and now that he's lost that, he's turned numb to the World around him."

"That kind of makes sense," Ron nodded slowly. "He had everything, and then suddenly, it was all gone. Do you think that he blames himself?"

"He does," Snape replied. "He told me as much when he asked me to change his room. He told me that he understood that he was behind his current predicament, but I refused to listen. I didn't expect him to break so easily."

"Well, he's never really faced any hardships until now," Ron stated. "I completely became numb last year after the Entity's constant abuse, and then I became reliant on Calming Draughts."

"I remember," Snape said.

"Then maybe you should help him," Ron said slowly, and Snape eyed Ron with a sharp look. I overstepped, didn't I?

"Why?" Snape asked, and Ron blinked at him. "Why do you wish to help my Godson? He has targeted you more than anyone else."

"I've seen the person that he can become," Ron sighed. "And truth be told, I can't help but respect that person. A person who spat in the face of certain death, all the while saving other people instead of himself. I don't want Malfoy to die, but I do want him to become that person. Do you understand that? It sounds a bit weird, but-"

"I understand," Snape assured him.

"And what Flint is doing to him… It's wrong," Ron said firmly. "I can understand going after people who have wronged you, or people who are getting in your way, but hurting random people for entertainment? That is something that I can't stand. Malfoy is in no position to cause anyone problems, and yet, he is being attacked by a student who should know better."

"His powerlessness makes him a target," Snape told Ron.

"And I can't stand the thought of that," Ron admitted. "It's why I hated your Godson in the first place. He wanted to go after me simply because he could, and even after I asked him for a truce, he kept at it. Flint is attacking someone who can't fight back, and that pisses me off."

"Aren't you a saint?" Snape smirked, and Ron snorted.

"I'm not a saint," Ron said. "Saints don't attack people for being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Granger," Snape said, and Ron rubbed his forehead.

"I can't breathe near her sometimes," Ron admitted. "She's trying to be friendly with me, but all I can think about is how easily I dashed her head into a wall. And then, I try to make excuses for what I did. I try to justify hurting her… It's sick… She didn't deserve that, but at the same time, what else was I supposed to do?"

"You might have taken an extreme action, Ron, but you still chose to save her even in your horrid state," Snape said, but it didn't make Ron feel any better. "You tried your best, and sometimes, that's all that you can do." Right. "As for making excuses… The mind tends to shield itself from things that can potentially harm it."

"So like denial?" Ron asked, and Snape nodded once.

"You might not be feeling guilty because you know that if you let yourself feel it, it will hurt you," Snape replied. "It will hurt you so badly that you'll never be the same again."

"Speaking from experience?" Ron asked, and Snape just stared at him for a few seconds.

"Yes," Snape whispered softly. Bloody hell, he sounded really sad just then.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Ron gave Snape a weak smile, but Snape just kept staring at him. Is he thinking about something? Like a bad memory? And then suddenly, something shifted behind his black eyes.

"My Godson needs help," Snape said, his voice had returned to normal. "Not my help… But the help of someone his age. Someone who can push him along the right path, while also teaching him that doing what's easy is not always the right thing." I've heard that before. Dumbledore's voice said that after I tried to kill Hermione. "That sometimes, the right thing is to turn from everything that you were raised to believe."

"Someone like me?" Ron asked, and Snape gave an extremely weak nod. "I… How am I supposed to do this? My friends hate him, my Family would string me up by my feet, and I'd probably become Flint's next target."

"Please," Snape said, his voice neither cold nor warm. "Please." He really loves Malfoy that much?

"I… I'll find a way…" Ron said softly, he was genuinely shocked into a daze at seeing Snape like this. "Just give me some time…"

"Thank you, Ron."

AUTHOR'S NOTES: And there it is! I hope you enjoyed that! Next chapter, Ron will be dropping by Beauxbatons, asking for Daphne's hand in dating, finding out who the leak is, and much more.

I'll do my best to update by Sunday, but things are a little busy for me right now, so I apologize in advance if I become late again.