Chapter 1: Wish Granted
Was a quick one-shot that I got from Reddit. Thanks in advance for any reviews.
This was a Ron-centric fic. I still don't expect much traffic from it, but I got the writing bug to write it, so here it is. It is now a multi-chapter fic.
I don't own anything you might recognize. This is the disclaimer for the entire fic.
Hpbtvshpbtvs
Ron Weasley was sulking. Harry Potter's name had just come out of the Goblet of Fire, and he was once again in the limelight. Ron was tired of being in the shadows. It seemed like every year Harry got into trouble and he was the sidekick that was there to pull his best mate out of the fire. And did he get recognition for it? No, all he ever got was some lousy points. Well, you can't take those home with you.
"I wish Harry Potter had never come to Hogwarts," he mumbled, slumping down on his bed.
"Wish granted," came a voice from his right side. A woman with a ridged face, and blonde curly hair, was standing there looking at him with an evil smile. She was wearing a medieval dress that would look right in place in Diagon Alley. It was crushed velvet and green with silver piping.
Suddenly the whole world changed. There was a darkness that seemed to press in around him, and a dreariness that wasn't there before. Like he'd never be happy again. It got darker and gloomier. Plus, there were only three beds in the room instead of five, which made the room more eerie since there was more room to move around in.
It also made the shadows longer and creepier. They played along the walls and climbed higher as if to reach out and grab him at any given moment.
"What happened?" the redhead asked, peering at the demon-like woman. She seemed to be quite content with what she'd done.
"You wanted Harry Potter gone; well, this is a world without him. Have fun," she said, brightly. She gave him an evil smile and disappeared.
"I didn't mean it!" he called to the air, standing, and looking around for the woman. However, she was gone. He ran from the room and went to find someone to tell. Hermione, he'd tell Hermione. He looked for her everywhere in the common room, but she was not to be found. "Fred?" he called to his brother, who was reading by the fire. "Where's Hermione?" he asked, tugging on the older boy's sleeve.
"Hermione?" Fred asked, looking perplexed, "Who is Hermione?" He was acting like he had never heard the name before.
"You know, my age, bushy hair, bucked teeth, reads a lot," Ron said, giving his brother a queer look. How could Fred not know Hermione? They were best friends. They had been for years. She'd been to their house. They had just gone to the Quidditch World Cup together. Hadn't they?
"Oh, she is in the library. At least that's where she usually is. But why would you want to talk to her? She hates you," Fred said, looking at him strangely.
"Yeah, Ron," George said, coming up to them. He sat at Ron's right and put his arm over his younger brother's shoulder.
"Ever since you called her a nightmare in your first year," Fred said, nodding to his twin.
"She has hated your guts," George finished, giving him a gentle shake like he shouldn't have picked on the girl, but it was ages ago, and he was forgiven.
"But what about the troll?" Ron asked, remembering how they had fought the troll and won her friendship. Well, that was when Harry was around, and he had just wished the boy had never come to Hogwarts.
"What troll?" George asked, peering in his eyes. His eyes narrowed as he examined Ron's face for folly.
"Have you gone barmy?" Fred inquired, shoving George aside to look at his younger brother's face.
"You know the troll," Ron persisted. "The one that got in in my first year? It almost killed me and Har… Hermione?" he continued, trying not to mention Harry. "On Halloween? I saved her?" he stated, puffing out his chest. "Quirrell came in yelling about it during the feast?" His face took on a faraway look, like one remembering a fond memory. Quirrell had been quite the sight with his fainting and he, Ron, had been heroic on that day. Not only had he done the spell correctly, but he had also saved Hermione and one-upped Harry.
"Ron, there was no troll," Fred said, concern in his tone. He too was examining his youngest brother's face for illness. The boy was talking nonsense, like he was living in a dream world.
"Oh," the youngest male Weasley stated, slumping his shoulders. He guessed without Harry at Hogwarts there was no Philosopher's Stone. So, there was no need to bring in the troll for a distraction. "What happened to Quirrell?" he asked, looking at Fred.
"He retired at the end of the year," the older boy said, furrowing his brow. "Are you sure you're alright?" he asked, putting his hand on the boy's head.
"Yeah, I'm okay. Where's Ginny?" he asked, changing the subject to something safer, looking around the common room. He didn't see her anywhere. She usually was near Fred this time of night. She kept near the older boy since Percy left Hogwarts last year. Fred made her feel safer since her first year.
"That's it," Fred said, grabbing his arm and guiding him to the door. "I'm taking you to Madam Pomfrey." There was genuine concern in his tone now. George was just as scared for his brother. This was not normal.
"What? Why?" Ron asked, pulling back as hard as he could. What could he have possibly said to make them this scared?
"Ron, Ginny died two years ago," George said, sadly, following the two and shoving Ron gently along.
"What? No, Harry…" he trailed off. Harry wasn't here. Harry had been the only one who could have possibly saved Ginny. He was the only parselmouth in all of Britain. Unless you count the Dark Lord, and You-Know-Who would kill Ginny and not save her. What had he done? He killed his baby sister by wishing away his best mate. He felt like shite now. Lower than low.
"A basilisk got loose and killed half the student body and Ginny was never found. There was a Dark Lord that rose from the Chamber of Secrets. We've been at war ever since," Fred said, pulling Ron along.
"That Dark Lord claims to be You-Know-Who, but he's far too young," George said, still guiding Ron from behind.
"You should know all this," insisted Fred, still guiding Ron down the hall to the Hospital Wing. They were passing students along the way who were pointing and whispering at their antics.
Ron was pulling back and protesting the entire way. There was nothing wrong with him that the mediwitch could cure. There was no need to go and see her.
"But…" the youngest brother said, really wishing he had not made that wish. He couldn't feel any worse now than he did. Ginny dead, a Dark Lord on the loose, and Harry gone. What else could possibly go wrong?
"Madam Pomfrey," Fred called out when they came to the Hospital Wing. "Ron isn't feeling well," he said, putting his brother on a bed.
Ron finally gave up and slumped on the bed with shoulders drooping down as far as they were able. He couldn't feel any worse than he did at that moment. How was he going to tell his mum that it was his fault that Ginny was dead?
"What seems to be the issue?" the mediwitch asked as she bustled in. She already had her wand out and was waving it.
"His memory seems to be affected," the older brother said, patting Ron on the head. He was greatly concerned for his baby brother. This was not normal behavior for him.
"He's making up wild stories and can't seem to remember what's going on," George said, sitting next to his younger brother.
"Like how our sister died," Fred stated, his brow puckered in anxiety.
"That is disturbing," Pomfrey agreed, waving her wand over Ron, and doing a diagnosis.
"Can I speak to Dumbledore? I think I've done something really bad," Ron said, staring at his hands. There were tears leaking from his eyes. He wanted to take his wish back.
"Yes, I think you'd better," Pomfrey said, when she read the results of her spell. Her lips were pursed, and she was wearing a look of disapproval.
There were ten minutes of silence as Ron sat and contemplated what he had done. He never knew just how much impact that Harry Potter had made on Hogwarts, not until now.
The twins sat and looked at each other, sharing a conversation with just looks and gestures as only twins or married couples can.
Dumbledore came in and spoke with Pomfrey. They were whispering, and she was not happy with her results. He was stroking his beard and thinking hard.
"Mr. Weasley," the old man said as he approached the small family, "Madam Pomfrey tells me you are covered in wish magic. Can you tell me what wish you made?" he asked, speaking in a way that brooked no argument.
"I wished that Harry Potter had never come to Hogwarts," Ron said, still looking at his hands. They were quite wet from his tears by now.
The older Weasley boys looked at each other confused. What did Harry Potter have to do with this? Sure, there were stories written about the boy, but when he hadn't shown up in his first year, everyone thought they were made up and the boy was just a figurehead.
"Am I to assume that Harry Potter was more than a figurehead?" the headmaster guessed. He knew the boy was the Boy-Who-Lived, but he didn't realize that he was someone that impacted the school in such a fashion. He knew there was a prophecy about the boy, but that could be taken care of later when the boy had grown some. Obviously, he'd been mistaken in those thoughts.
"He was a bloody hero," Ron snapped, making Fred and George put their hands on his arm. "He saved the school over and over again. He stopped You-Know-Who in our first year and second year. He killed the basilisk. And I let my jealousy get in the way, again." He wiped tears from his face. He was beyond angry now. At himself, at the demon and at the man in front of him.
"Can you tell me what is different in this reality?" the headmaster asked, putting his hand on Ron's hand only for the boy to snatch it away.
"One of my best friends hates me, the other is gone. Half the school is dead," the boy said, tears still falling from his eyes. "There's a Dark Lord running around. And worst of all my sister is dead." He was full out bawling now. He put his face in his hands and his brothers put their arms around his shoulders.
"And this Harry Potter prevented this all?" Albus Dumbledore asked, disbelief in his tone. There was no way a mere child could do all that. Boy-Who-Lived or not.
"Yes," Ron said, lifting his chin in defiance. His face was splotchy, and the tear tracks ruined the defiant look making him look like a toddler who was trying to look grown.
"And he was your age?" was the next question.
"Yes," was the answer.
"How can this be so?" the gentle question came.
"He was the Boy-Who-Lived," Ron said like that explained everything.
"There was a Harry Potter that was slotted to join the student body, but his relatives were disinclined to let him come to the school," the headmaster said, running a hand down his beard in a thoughtful manner.
"That was probably him," Ron said, excitedly. "Can he join now?" Maybe, just maybe he'd get one of his friends back. He wouldn't let jealousy get in the way this time.
"Not without his guardian's consent," Albus stated, a knowing twinkle in his eyes.
"What about Sirius?" the boy asked, hope in his tone.
"Sirius Black?" Dumbledore asked with a confused voice.
"Yes."
"He was Kissed last year. He was a criminal," Fred answered, looking at the headmaster and then his twin brother. Everyone knew that Sirius Black was a criminal. Then again, they were here because Ron wasn't remembering things correctly. If what he said was true, then this wasn't the Ron from yesterday. This was a whole different Ron from a different reality.
"He was innocent," Ron said, glumly. Another death at his hands because he was petty and jealous.
"Was he now? That is a shame," Dumbledore said, sadness in his tone. He hated it when a life was taken. Especially an innocent life.
"What happened to Scabbers?" Ron asked George. He didn't remember seeing the rat in his bed. He hoped that Peter Pettigrew was dead.
"He ran away," George answered.
"Can we break the wish?" Ron asked the headmaster. There had to be a way to get back to normal reality.
"If we find the demon that granted it and take her necklace," the old man answered, though there wasn't much hope in his voice.
"How would we do that?" the youngest redhead asked, determination in his tone. He was going to get his best mate back. No matter what. Harry would want him to.
"They tend to hang around for a day or two to admire their work," Albus said, looking at the three boys. "The necklace is her power source, if you get it, you will control her. This is a well-known fact, so she will guard it carefully," he warned them.
"Do you know what she looks like?" Fred asked, going over all the girls he knew and thinking of any new faces he'd seen.
"Just look for someone out of place. This is a boarding school," Dumbledore said, getting up and going to leave. "In the meantime, I will see if I cannot bring Harry Potter to the school," he said as he left.
"I remember she had curly blonde hair," Ron said, looking at his brothers with hope on his face. If anyone could do this, it was the twins. They were crafty buggers.
"That does narrow it down," George stated, getting up and leading the procession out of the Hospital Wing.
"Yeah, we'll just look for anyone we don't know with curly blonde hair," Fred said, already glaring at any girl they came across as if they were the culprit in disguise. He was getting queer looks back, and wary ones. The twins had quite the reputation. No one trusted them not to prank them.
"Best keep an eye on all the Houses," George stated, knowing if it were him, he'd hide in Slytherin.
Two days went by, and they narrowed it down to three girls. All three wore necklaces and all three were wearing smirks and all three were blonde with curls, or waves. They coordinated it to where the Weasley boys went up to each girl and grabbed a necklace and pulled at the same time. It was during dinner one evening.
Each girl stood and screamed in protest, causing the student body to look around to see what was going on. The teachers looked to see the Weasley boys each holding a necklace.
"Weasleys," bellowed Snape, "what is the meaning of this?" He stood to take points from them and was stopped by the headmaster.
"Now, Severus, they have my permission," Albus stated, looking at the faces of each girl. Only one looked like her world had come to an end. "Ah, Anyanka," he said, knowingly. He recognized her from her placard in the book on demons that he had been studying since he met Ron in the Hospital Wing. He had thought it was her from the start, but it was good to know it was true.
"Give me back my necklace, or D'Hoffryn will take vengeance on you," she said, very sternly. She was a slight thing, and pretty without her demonic face.
"You know that is not true," Dumbledore stated, peering over his glasses like she was foolish.
"I won't undo the wish," she said, stubbornly. "It is just too good," she said, with a smile. "You have a Dark Lord running around and one trying to come back. There will be two of them soon, and they will be fighting each other. You have a boy hero who has no clue who he is, and you want to bring him here," she continued, still smiling brightly.
"I will bring him here," Albus said, already having plans in place to do just that.
"But what good will it do you?" she said, lifting her chin. "He'll hate you," she predicted, smiling again. "You abandoned him to his relatives again. They were worse when you did that, you know," she said, smirking now. "My friend, Halfrek was more than willing to give him a wish to kill them or turn them into farm animals. She does so love to help abused children," Anyanka said, turning to the student body and talking to them as much as she was the headmaster.
Little did they know that the boy used the wish to turn his relatives into farm animals. Only to run away directly after. He had been living on the streets since. His cousin, Dudley, was living with his Aunt Marge, which wasn't much of an improvement, but Harry wasn't there, so he could care less.
"What do you mean, Harry was abused?" Ron asked. He knew Harry's family didn't love him, but abused him? He never fathomed the idea.
"Oh? Didn't you know? Yes, they abused him greatly and your headmaster knew this," she said with great glee.
"You bastard!" Ron shouted. "I knew you were testing him!" he accused, pointing his finger at him. "That's why the Philosopher's Stone wasn't here, because Harry wasn't here," he stated, making a fool of himself, because no one understood what he was saying, except Dumbledore. Who looked guilty.
"Ron, sit down," George hissed, grabbing his arm and yanking him down.
Ron did so, reluctantly. He glared at the headmaster for all he was worth. He didn't think he could hate the old man more. But now…
"You'd better hope you aren't bringing an Obscurial to your school," Anyanka stated, then she walked out of the Great Hall. She may not have much magic now that they had her amulet, but she wasn't going to stick around here. Well, not where they could find her. She was going to get her necklace back. For that she had to hang around the school, but she didn't have to pretend to be a student any longer.
"Albus, is that possible?" Minerva asked, very concerned. She had the students to think about.
"I doubt it. The boy would have become one long before now," the unconcerned man said, going back to his food.
The entire student body was talking about the Boy-Who-Lived coming to the school an abused boy who might be an Obscurial. It was frightening.
Hphphp
There were only three people in the fourth-year boys' dorms. Neville Longbottom, Ron Weasley and Seamus Finnigan. Dean Thomas had died in second year when the basilisk had been released. There were many deaths that year. Lavander Brown had been one of them as well. Half of the school had died, they had almost closed Hogwarts. But it was the only school in the UK, so it remained open, only just.
If Dumbledore had not returned in time to kill the basilisk, he would not have remained the headmaster. But he did slay the beast, so they kept him on. Lucius Malfoy died trying to kill the creature, so that was an ironic plus.
It wasn't just muggleborn that perished either, Draco Malfoy died as well. Hence his father's attempt to kill the basilisk.
It was too bad most of the house elves also passed away in that massacre. However, the Acromantula still ran rampant in the forest. There was talk of the ministry coming and controlling them, but budget cuts were keeping them back for now. Right now, the only thing keeping the giant spiders from the school were the wards, which were powered by Dumbledore. And Hagrid, how was still talking to the leader, Aragog.
That had not been a good year for the school.
The next year fared better, with only the appearance of Sirius Black. Since Harry was not at the school, there were no dementors, and no Remus Lupin, so no werewolf. When Sirius showed up to kill Peter Pettigrew on Halloween, he was apprehended and returned to custody, by Severus Snape. He was Kissed without questioning and that was that. Scabbers still ran away and was not heard from again.
This year was a quiet year, but for the war, which really didn't touch the school. However, every day there were letters from home that let the children know that it did touch their families. Some deaths, mostly injuries, a great deal of political issues, and money problems were prevalent.
Now Harry Potter was coming, and they could only hope the boy was normal and would help them win the war. Though how could he when he didn't know any magic? That was the general thought.
Their questions were about to be answered, there was a boy standing at the Teachers' Table. He was on the shorter side, but boy was he ripped. He had muscles for days. There was a lightning bolt scar on his forehead that depicted him as the Boy-Who-Lived, but there were more scars on his face that didn't. It was as if he was a prize fighter in cage fights. He definitely had an air of 'don't fuck with me' about him.
"May I have your attention please," Albus Dumbledore said, standing and holding out his arms to get everyone's attention. "May I introduce Harry Potter. He is going to be sorted here momentarily. When he is, I am sure whatever House he goes into will welcome him with open arms." With that he waved McGonagall to bring the Sorting Hat.
Harry stood with his arms folded over his broad chest glaring at the students like they had done him wrong. He didn't wear glasses, and his piercing green eyes bore into everyone. They all shielded back, like they felt guilty. Though they didn't know why. Only Ron knew he had done the boy wrong.
The hat was placed on his head and was there for seconds when it yelled out "Gryffindor."
There was some clapping, like they weren't sure they wanted this surly boy in their House. The Weasley twins were happily cheering though. They wanted the Boy-Who-Lived near them. They did a little dance in the aisle and yelled, "We got Potter! We got Potter!"
"Get bent," Harry said as he walked by.
Harry went to the indicated table and sat at the very end near a girl with bushy hair. She didn't appear to have many friends. That was fine by him. He wasn't there to make friends.
"Harry Potter," he told her sitting across the table from her.
"Hermione Granger," she said back, not looking up from her book.
"Pleasure," he said, and started serving up some of the meal that just appeared. He picked a lot of meat and potatoes, though he did throw on some veggies. He wanted protein and carbs. He was used to living out of restaurant tips and was glad to have a square meal.
"I'm sure," she said dryly, still not looking up from her reading. She reached over and chose some chicken that she could eat with her fingers.
The two fell quiet after that and the rest of the table watched them as they ate their own food. They didn't say anything to the strange duo, but they kept their eyes on them.
Ron felt a pang of jealousy and loss. He could have been there, and loosened up the tension with talk, but he had wished Harry away. Gone was the good-natured boy he knew and in his place was this closed-off teen, with scars on his face. Now, the redhead felt that loss greatly.
That night in the dorms, Ron asked Harry, "Do you think you'll catch up to the rest of us quickly?" He really hoped Harry could. He didn't want to think he'd left the other teen with a handicap.
"What makes you think I don't know magic?" Harry replied, showing some fire in his hand. It was dancing there with no help whatsoever.
"Well, I mean… I just… you were with the muggles," Ron said, staring at the fire. He had only ever seen Professor Lupin, in the other reality, do that, and he was an adult. Hermione came close with her bluebell flames, but those were small and heatless.
"When I got the letter, and I learned that I had magic, I read everything I could get my hands on in the regular world. And let me tell you there's a lot out there. I learned everything I could. I can do things you lot have never dreamed of, or so I'm led to believe," Harry said, snuffing out the fire. He smirked and returned to getting ready for bed.
The library was a great source of information, and it was warm in the winter and cool in the summer. It was a great place to hang out in the boring hours of the daytime. Harry would spend hours there just devouring any books on magic he could find.
"I can believe that," Seamus said, having read some of those books. He never tried anything out of them, but he'd read them.
"Why? I mean, how did you learn from those books?" Neville asked, sitting on his bed. "They are not real magic," he added, not understanding. They were just stories. It was like learning from Beedle the Bard.
"No one told me that. I was just told that magic was real. So, I taught myself that all magic was real," Harry answered with a shrug, pulling on a t-shirt for bed. His muscles rippled with the effort, showing just how ripped he was, making the other boys feel scrawny in comparison. "So, I was told that I was brought here because one of you boneheads made a wish. Which one of you did it?" he asked, looking at the three of them with a bit of malice.
Neville and Seamus looked confused, and Ron looked scared and guilty.
"It was me," Ron said, slumping on his bed. He was willing to take whatever punishment Harry dished out.
"Why?"
"I was jealous, okay? You were this great hero, and I was jealous of you. You got everything, or so I thought. I never realized just how bad you had it, or how much of an impact you had on the school," Ron said, getting up and pacing around the room.
"Well, I want to thank you," Harry said, going up to him and putting a hand on his shoulder.
"How can you thank me? Half the school is dead, and so is my sister," Ron said, aghast. Didn't Harry understand just how fucked up the world was because of that wish?
"Yeah, but look at me," the other teen said, flexing his muscle and igniting his flame again. "I'm great," he added.
"Bugger off," the redhead said, shoving the boy hero away. "There's a Dark Lord running around, and my sister is dead," he said, again.
"Oh, yeah, I forgot about that arsehole," Harry said, ignoring the sister comment again.
"Are you going to fight him?" Neville asked, worried for a moment.
"The old man brought me back for that," Harry said, flexing his muscles. "I'll think about it."
The three other boys exchanged looks and came to the same conclusion. The Boy-Who-Lived was a dick. They couldn't count on him to save them; they were going to have to train to save themselves. Maybe he'd change and fight by their side, but they weren't going to count on him.
Meanwhile, the Weasley twins were harassing the hell out of Anyanka, who was still lurking around Hogwarts. She had nowhere else to go. She was without power and D'Hoffryn had not come to her calls. She was on her own. She had tried many times to get her necklace back, but it was in the headmaster's office and that was guarded by the gargoyles. And no matter what she tried she couldn't get them to move.
She was on the verge of making a pact with the local poltergeist, but the twins were trickier than she was. Dammit she was over a thousand years old, and she was being out pranked by teenagers. This would not stand. True they had magic on their side. This was why she rarely dealt with magicals.
"Fine," she said, one day when they had caught up with her. "What do you want?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
"Undo the wish," they said in unison.
"I need my necklace," she stated, looking at them and noting they looked very much alike. She didn't think she could tell them apart.
"Let's go ask the headmaster," twin one said, grabbing her hand and pulling her along.
"Wait, let go of me," she said, yanking her hand from his and following on her own accord.
They walked in silence. Well, the twins talked to each other about how nice it would be to have their sister back, but Anyanka stayed quiet. They got to the gargoyles and started naming the candies that might be the passwords, and Fred hit the right one. They took the moving stairs up to the door of the office.
"Enter, Fred, George, and Anyanka," came the voice of the headmaster.
"I hate that he can do that," George said, opening the door.
"It's not that impressive," Anyanka stated, rolling her eyes and moving to enter, and then taking a chair farthest away from the phoenix.
Fred and George took seats closer to the bird and each had a lemon drop when offered.
"What can I do for you today?" Albus asked, putting the candy dish down on the desk. He loved it when the kids took him up on his offer for candy.
"Anyanka says she'll undo the wish," Fred said, sucking on the lemon drop, but keeping it from showing as he talked.
"Did she now? And what guarantee do we have that she will do this?" the old man asked, looking over his spectacles at her.
"I don't lie. I don't have to," Anyanka stated, looking down her nose at him. "I'm not that kind of demon. As a matter of fact, most demons don't lie. Not really. They tell the truth. It's not our fault that humans don't believe us." She casually shrugged her shoulders like they were idiots. It would undo the wish, for Ron, but not for them. She wasn't going to tell them that though.
"I guess you are right," Dumbledore conceded that what she said was true.
"Can I have my necklace back?" she asked, a greedy look in her eye.
"It is my belief that young Harry Potter prefers the life he has now," Albus stated, looking at the twins.
"But all those lives…" George said, trailing off.
"Ginny…" Fred said.
"It doesn't really matter what 'young Harry Potter' wants. It matters what the wish maker wants. And that means Ronald Bilius Weasley. He wants me to unmake the wish," the wish demon stated, folding her arms, and glaring at the old man. Just who the hell did this old man think he was?
"Are you sure that is what he wants?" Albus asked, looking at the twins.
"Yes, he told you that ages ago," Fred said, glaring at the man. He wanted his sister back, even if he didn't remember she was dead.
"Ah, but that was before he met Harry," the old man tried to manipulate.
"His wish has not changed," George insisted, poking a finger on the desk to emphasize the point.
"I see. Well, we should go and find young Ronald and have him undo the wish," Albus said, taking the necklace from his desk and pocketing it.
They left the office and went to the Gryffindor common room, where Ron was playing chess with Seamus. He and the new Harry didn't get on very well. This bloke wasn't his Harry Potter. He was some guy with the same name. He was self-centered, egotistical and a dick. He called Neville names, and shoved Seamus aside to get to his stuff. He was just mean to everyone.
Harry was sitting with Hermione reading. They didn't get along either, but they tolerated each other enough to read next to each other.
"Ah, young Ronald, come here, please," Albus said, loud enough for the whole room to hear.
Ron looked up and saw the wish demon and hurried over.
Harry moved to see what was going on too. He didn't like the looks of this.
"Are we here to undo the wish?" the redhead asked, excited. His eyes danced with anticipation.
"Wait? What about what I want?" Harry asked, coming over and pushing Ron aside. He was much stronger than the lanky boy, so it was an easy feat.
"My sister will be alive and so will half the school. And your godfather," Ron said, again. He was getting tired of repeating that. He moved to stand in front of Harry.
"So the fuck what. I will lose who I am," Harry said, glaring at the back of his head.
"That's no big loss," grumbled the redhead. "You were a much better person the other way anyway," he said louder. "You were at least a nicer bloke than this arsehole you are now," he added, much louder now, turning to face Harry.
"I don't care what you think. You were the jealous prat the made the wish in the first place," Harry said, turning to the headmaster. "Can't you stop this?" he asked, a pleading look in his eyes.
Anyanka spoke for him. "No, it's the wisher that has the power," she said, snatching her necklace from the headmaster's robe and undoing the wish.
The world changed again and suddenly there were a lot more people in the common room. It was brighter, cheerier, and there was a calmer atmosphere. There was also a lot of confusion as there seemed to be those that remembered being dead, though they didn't understand how or why.
Harry had shrunk down to his scrawny self and was looking around the common room wondering how he had gotten there. He saw Ron and cringed. The last he remembered of his best mate the boy was angry at him.
Ron ran to him and crushed him to his chest. He'd never been happier to see his best mate in all his life.
"We'll get through this," the redhead said, speaking to his back, still hugging him like he had lost him forever. "No matter what, we'll get through it." Then he spotted his sister, let go of Harry, and ran to her and crushed her to his chest too and started crying. "Ginny, oh Merlin, Ginny. You're alive." he kept saying it over and over again.
Ginny just stood there looking confused, and stared at her brother's head from where he was holding her.
"Ron, are you okay?" Fred asked, coming up to them and putting a hand on his shoulder, making Ron laugh.
"Yeah, do you need Madam Pomfrey?" George asked, coming up to him and feeling his head.
"I'm great," Ron said, lifting his head, and he spied Anyanka in the common room and glared at her.
She raised her hands defensively and disappeared.
Ron vowed to remove the word 'wish' from his vocabulary. He also vowed to treat everyone like he was never going to see them again. He'd never be a jealous prat again. He was going to stand by Harry Potter's side through thick or thin, that was a vow he was going to take to his grave.