Disclaimer: Still don't own a darned thing. Cool!
Author's Note: Hi folks! I'm BACK! Readers of my other story already know this, but for those of you who only read this one, I wanted to let you know that the wedding was absolutely wonderful. Never has there been a happier occasion in my life. I am now married to the man of my dreams, Ryan. It was a beautiful venue, and both Ryan and I are so grateful to everyone who made our wedding day what it was. My dad has the license to marry people, and it was amazing because he was the one who married us. I couldn't have asked for anyone better.
I was completely exhausted afterwards, though. It was a good kind of tired, of course, but I didn't foresee it beforehand. That's why I was delayed in getting this chapter up - I felt a little under the weather for several days and didn't have the focus to write. Thankfully though, that has finally passed; I am feeling much better now and am happy to get back to it. I apologize for the delay and hope this chapter is worth the wait. I should be able to get some more up before my honeymoon, which is a little over two weeks away - I'm super excited for that as well!
Yellow 14, that's perfectly okay. The fact that you're writing spin-off fics at all is amazing. Take your time, I'm certainly not rushing you. I know they'll be great when they arrive!
I do agree about the Time-Turner as well. I loved the time travel in Prisoner of Azkaban and thought it was done expertly. All the points you made about why Harry and Hermione had to do it are extremely valid. Sturgis is definitely biased due to his experiences, but it's completely understandable why he is. You'll find out much later what the backstory behind that is. You'll know who it is who died, how he died, and what, exactly, he meant to Sturgis.
And as for Sturgis, you have no idea how happy it makes me that you're starting to be more interested in him. He's extraordinary. Truly extraordinary. Obviously, the real human being he's based on has a very different backstory, as I have said before, but his general attitude is based off that person. Sturgis has definitely gone through some rough stuff that has shaped him into the person he is in this fic. I'm looking forward to writing so much more about him. And wow, that's wonderful that you've been taking care of your nephew. And yes, Sturgis loves his son more than life itself. You'll get to meet Benjamin, too, as he will play quite a large role later on in the story.
I'm glad you liked McGonagall and Snape, too. McGonagall definitely has a lot of responsibility weighing heavily on her, and as for Snape, he's fascinating to write. Honestly, every character in this series is so unique in their own way.
As for the petition, I'm glad you like what I'm doing with it. That was definitely in the plot for a reason.
I hope everyone enjoys this chapter.
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Ron Weasley waited in anticipation for Harry and Sirius to come through the Floo network to the Burrow. It had been two days since Sirius's trial, so it had not been that long since he'd seen his best mate. But, honestly, he was desperate to see him again.
He couldn't believe the way his family was treating him now - their respect for him had seemed to magnify tenfold ever since his testimony. Ron had to admit that in years past, he might have let the words and looks of admiration go to his head. How many times had he wished to stand out, to do something different than all of them? The entire reason for his jealousy of Harry was that he wanted his own moment in the limelight. Coming from such a big family, it sometimes felt so hard to be your own person.
But this ... Ron didn't feel like he deserved all the words his family was saying to him now. So he had given a powerful testimony about Sirius and how he and Harry needed each other. So what? He was only doing what was right. He felt like it was his own way of apologizing for being such a cruddy friend to Harry this year, when the other boy had gone through so much. Seeing the bravery Harry had displayed in the graveyard had had a huge impact on Ron. Seeing the absolute hell he'd been through afterwards, with so many in the school thinking him a murderer and others wanting nothing more than to get him off Hogwarts' premises so that they'd feel safer ... it gave him perspective that he had never had before. And all those weeks that he'd been in hiding and Ron hadn't been able to see him ... the guilt would keep him tossing and turning at night, when he used to have no trouble falling asleep. The twins had often joked that Ron could fall asleep during a battle without any trouble at all. That summer, though, he'd had a harder time sleeping than ever before.
But it was over. Harry was out of hiding, and Sirius was free. Everyone knew the truth now, that they had to prepare for a second war against Voldemort. The fear Ron had for his family, for Hermione, for Harry ... it was an ever-present thing. It crawled through his gut when he least expected it, tainting his thoughts and making him feel a despair that was very new to him. He thought of all the stories he'd heard of the First War, including the fact that his uncles, Gideon and Fabian Prewett, had lost their lives fighting in the Order of the Phoenix. Fabian's beautiful bride, Dorcas Meadows, had died on their bloody wedding day, of all days. Ron remembered Molly saying, through tears that she couldn't hold back, that at least Dorcas and Fabian were together now. But they should have been together in life, rather than in death.
And Ron couldn't hide the fact that he was very much involved in this war. Being Harry's best friend, there was no other choice. You-Know-Who wasn't about to stop coming after Harry, and Ron knew it. Logically, he knew he could go to Harry and tell him they couldn't be friends anymore - he was too scared for everyone else he cared for, and for himself. Merlin, he didn't want to die.
But there was no way in hell that he could ever do that. He could never leave Harry's side. Harry had never asked for this. He'd never asked to have You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters targeting him at every turn. He'd never asked to be hunted and hounded, barely ever having a moment's peace. And Ron knew that although Harry always tried to put on a brave face, he, too, could be terrified and heartsick. Though his admiration for Harry had, shamefully, been mixed with resentment at times, he had always been Ron's hero. And to see him, in those awful moments before he and Sirius had escaped into hiding ... Ron would never forget the sight of Harry shaking in his godfather's arms, Harry grasping onto him, desperate to escape Hogwarts. In that single moment, Harry Potter became truly human to Ronald Weasley.
And Ron knew he was in this for the long haul. He knew it might cost him his life, and the lives of those he loved. But it was like Ginny had said when they'd first seen Harry after his birthday - You-Know-Who was going to try and destroy their way of life. It was the right thing to do to fight him. No matter what they had to sacrifice, if it made the world a better place, it would be worth it. And Harry ... Merlin, Harry was worth the world.
But that didn't stop the fear from haunting Ron as he, Hermione, Ginny, and many others in his family waited for Harry in the living room. He and Sirius were supposed to be here any minute now. He'd have a great day with his best mate - they'd play Quidditch, laugh, and goof off like they always did. And Harry would be much happier to be here, seeing as all the worry for Sirius that had been gnawing at him was now gone. Sirius was no longer locked up in a Ministry holding cell - he was now, thankfully, free.
But ... Merlin, how was Ron supposed to tell Harry what had happened? He, Hermione, and Ginny had been talking about it ever since breakfast this morning, and none of them knew how to approach the subject without causing Harry an immense amount of pain.
Over breakfast that very morning, Molly had quietly brought it up to them. It was plainly visible that she didn't want to, but knew better than to keep them in the dark about it. She said it had been Arthur who had convinced her to discuss it with them, and Ron believed this wholeheartedly. He loved his mother dearly, but hated when she didn't tell him things, convinced it was for his own good. His father often had a more logical approach to the situation, and thankfully, his logic had worked in this case.
So she'd told them the information very quickly, as if thinking that the faster she conveyed it, the easier it would be to swallow. But Ron knew this simply wasn't true.
"The governors don't want Harry to come back to Hogwarts."
This had sent ice flooding through Ron's veins. It was Jeff Bushman, that Hufflepuff bloke, and his stupid petition. The governors had bought it hook, line, and sinker. At the Order meeting last night, McGonagall had informed the members of this development. Even after everything Harry had been through, the governors were trying to deny him an education. They were saying that if he returned to Hogwarts, he risked getting everyone there killed.
It was almost beyond comprehension to Ron. He couldn't imagine Hogwarts without Harry. Maybe, in some respects, Ron still hero-worshiped him in a way he shouldn't. He felt that, without Harry, the school was less safe. After all, his best mate had saved his baby sister from dying. Harry had always seemed to possess some kind of inner strength that Ron hadn't seen in anyone else. And sure, he had seemed so much more frail this summer, but why shouldn't he? He'd hit rock bottom and had had to climb back up. Ron had faith in Harry that he was going to come back stronger from all of it, especially now that he had Sirius, an adult who truly loved him, in his life.
Bill, who had been sitting at the table when Molly had been telling them all of this, had tried to explain why the governors felt the way they did. "They're still using Cedric's death as their justification for it," he said gently.
"But Cedric's parents don't even blame Harry!" Ron had shouted, enraged. "Weren't any of them at Fudge's trial? Did they not see the memory of it happening, and how Harry's face looked afterwards?"
"Ron, I know this doesn't make it right. But some of the governors have children who are students, and they're terrified for them," Bill had said quietly. "And no, Harry's not to blame. Not for any of it. But fear motivates people to do things, Ron. It has been that way since human beings first inhabited the world, and I'm afraid of it always being that way."
"It's not fair," Ginny said, her expression incredibly sad. "What will Harry do if he can't come back to Hogwarts? What can we do to convince the governors?"
And then, Molly had told them quietly, "This might be for the best ... for Harry. Remember the atrium?" Her own expression was similar to Ginny's; it contained a bone-deep sadness.
Ron, Hermione, and Ginny went quiet then. They all clearly remembered the panic on Harry's face when confronted by all those people in the atrium. And Ron had been incredibly scared and helpless then. He hadn't known what in Merlin's name to do to help his best friend.
"You don't want him to come back to Hogwarts either, do you?" Ginny had said, scowling at her mother with clear accusation in her voice.
Molly had still looked sad. "I'm not saying that at all, dear," she'd said softly. "The fact of the matter is, there are only nine days left before term begins. That might not be enough time to resolve things with the governors. If it takes longer, it will give Harry a chance to continue his recovery and to make sure he's really ready to return to school."
There hadn't been much to say after that. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny had finished their breakfast in complete silence, and when the twins walked in and Fred had asked, "Why the long faces, folks?" Ginny had informed them of what was going on. Fred and George had not reacted well to the news either, and needless to say, it had been on all of their minds ever since.
And now, as the Floo flared to life, Ron felt at a loss of how to brooch this subject with Harry. They did not want to cause him pain. But they did not want to leave him in the dark either.
The next thing they knew, Harry and Sirius whirled into the room. Sirius looked very much recovered from the trial - rest and recuperation had done him the world of good. Harry looked a little tired, but he smiled genuinely at everyone.
"Hey, mate," said Ron, realizing that now, it was his turn to put a brave face on things. "Hey, Sirius."
Sirius grinned at Ron, an unmistakable expression of gratitude on his face. "Ron, I can't thank you enough for your testimony on Monday." He gave Ron the same kind of look that his family and Hermione had been giving him lately.
"Don't mention it," Ron said, reaching out and shaking Sirius's hand. "It's the least I could do."
"We wanted to give testimony, too, Sirius," Hermione said. "Me, Ginny, Fred, and George. We even wrote ours out and everything. But Madam Bones said that Ron's would be the most relevant to the case."
Ron knew what Hermione was not saying - that much of the doubt surrounding Sirius's mental faculties was due to the fact that he had stood by Ron's bed with a knife. And honestly, Fred and George hadn't met Sirius at all before he'd taken Harry into hiding. They had only wanted to testify in order to lend Harry their support.
"I understand, Hermione," Sirius said quietly. "Thank you all for your effort." He smiled at everyone, and then turned back to Ron. "Since we didn't start out on the best of terms ..." he started.
"All is forgiven, Sirius," Ron said without any hesitation. "You took care of my best mate. That's what counts."
Sirius smiled again, looking incredibly touched. "Thanks," he said, looking like he had no idea what else to say.
"Tea and biscuits, anyone?" Molly smiled, but Ron could see that she was having a harder time putting a brave face on things. She had never found it easy to do so when times were hard.
"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said as he sat down on the couch with his friends.
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The next several minutes were spent pleasantly enough, with everyone drinking tea and eating chocolate biscuits. Ron and Harry began to talk Quidditch, resisting all efforts from Hermione when she tried to engage them in conversation about other things. Fred and George chuckled over ideas for more joke items they were looking to create, which made Hermione scowl fiercely. Why didn't she realize, Ron thought with humor, that this only egged them on?
"So what are you doing today, Sirius?" Molly asked as she smiled at Harry's godfather. "You're looking pretty well."
"Yeah, I feel great," Sirius smiled back. "It feels good to be free. After I leave here, I'm going to Remus's. He's invited me over for the day."
"Oh, how nice," Molly said. "I'm sure he'll be happy to see you."
"Hey, Harry? Want to play some Quidditch? It looks to me like Hermione's pretty tired of us talking about it," Ron said with a laugh as he got up from the couch.
"Yeah, good idea. If she wants to get lost in one of her boring books, she can at least come outside with us," Fred chortled.
"At least if you're not part of the action, you're still part of the scenery," George chuckled, winking good-naturedly at Hermione.
Hermione scowled at the twins and Ron, but got up as well. "Whatever," she said haughtily, which only succeeded in making the others laugh.
"Sure." Harry smiled. "Bye, Sirius. What time should I be ready to leave?"
"He can stay as long as he likes," Molly said. "I know he enjoys being with his friends."
"Is eight-thirty okay, Harry?" Sirius asked.
"Yeah, that's fine." Harry smiled, and Sirius patted his shoulder.
"Okay, then. Have fun, kiddo," said Sirius, grinning at him as Harry and his friends went outside to play Quidditch.
The next few hours were spent rather enjoyably, and Ron found himself relaxing while up in the air. Still, he couldn't help but notice that Harry seemed worried about something. He was definitely in much better spirits than he had been when he was here last week, but something still seemed to be causing him distress.
After they had come down from their flight, Ron suggested that they all go and sit on the grass in order to join Hermione. She had been sitting there reading a book, a bottle of water resting beside her. She smiled at them as they came to sit with her.
"Anything interesting in that book of yours?" George snickered. "I swear to Merlin, Hermione, you never have any fun, do you?"
"My idea of fun is not flying around on a broomstick, getting injured every other minute," Hermione said with a huff, closing her book and placing it down on the grass beside her.
"Pray tell, when was the last time I was injured playing Quidditch?" Fred demanded. "You wound me with the lack of faith you have in my flying skills."
"I think your ego needs a bit of examination, myself," Ginny teased her brother.
"Hey! That's not fair, Gin-Gin!" George cried in defense of his twin. "I have a bigger ego than Freddie here!"
Fred chuckled. "You'll never understand how amazing Quidditch is, Hermione," he said in a tone that attempted to portray a deep sadness. The fact that he burst out laughing afterwards, however, clearly showed that it was a lie.
Harry was smiling, appreciating the banter between his friends, but Ron could see that there was still something lurking behind those emerald eyes. Apparently, his little sister saw it, too. "What's wrong, Harry?" she asked quietly.
Instantly, the humor in the atmosphere vanished, and everyone was looking at Harry in concern. "What do you mean?" he asked, trying to pretend everything was okay.
"You can't hide from us, Harry," Hermione said seriously. "We know something's going on."
"And I know something's going on with you guys, too," Harry said, and Ron felt his heart sink. Apparently, none of them had been good at hiding their own feelings.
"Have we really been that obvious about it?" Fred asked, accepting defeat.
Harry looked at them sadly. "Yeah," he admitted. "Let me guess. Is the Prophet, well, being the Prophet about me again?"
Ron instantly felt angry on Harry's behalf, as this was yet another thing they didn't want to tell him about but knew they had no choice. "They won't shut up about what was said at the trial. Ever since it happened, it's been article after article about your situation with those Muggles," he said disgustedly, feeling extremely guilty for answering Dawlish's question about Harry's home life.
"They don't know when to leave well enough alone," Ginny fumed. "It's revolting."
"Haven't they done enough already?" George snarled, his face transforming into rage as any semblance of laughter left his eyes. "They put you through all kinds of hell this summer, and ..."
"Look," Harry said, and Ron was heartsick at the resignation he saw in his best friend's eyes. "It's not worth getting all upset over - I was expecting this. Sirius warned me that the Prophet would do this."
George looked even angrier at that statement. "You shouldn't have to expect it!" he cried. "They're nothing more than a bunch of vultures!"
"They just love the fact that you said that what happens between you and your family is none of Dawlish's business," Ron sneered. "There's all kinds of speculation about what that statement meant."
"It's okay," Harry said, although it was plain to see that it wasn't. At all. "I really appreciate you sticking up for me, but the Daily Prophet is going to do what it's going to do."
"But you must feel awful about it!" Ron exclaimed loudly, the resignation his friend was showing truly scaring him. "It's completely unfair!"
Harry's face changed for a split second, showing the true pain he was feeling. "I hate it," he said quietly. "But it doesn't matter, does it? The most important thing is that I have you lot. And I have Sirius now." His expression seemed to light up as he spoke his godfather's name, and in turn, Ron felt his own heart lighten marginally.
"Harry," Hermione said, her voice almost a whisper. "The Dursleys ..."
Harry held up a hand. "Please, Hermione. I don't want to talk about them. That part of my life is over. Sirius promised that I'd never have to see them ever again. None of it matters anymore."
"But ..." George protested. "They can't just get away with ..."
"All they want is to be left in peace," Harry said, and Ron could sense that his control was slipping. "And I want to be left in peace too. I just ..."
"Okay, mate." Ron couldn't bear the sadness in Harry's eyes. He remembered the bars on his friend's window at his so-called home, and shuddered. He knew better than to push Harry anymore, although he would always wonder what the other boy had been subjected to by those ... bastards. "We won't talk about it anymore."
Harry sighed, looking very relieved. "Thank you," he said, and Ron's heart broke. How could he have ever taken any of his family for granted? How could he truly have ever thought that Harry's life was better?
"So what is it that's been bothering you, Harry?" Ginny asked gently. "You've looked ... not yourself all day. Has something happened since Sirius's trial?"
It was then that Ron realized just how right his mother had been that morning. Ron had thought that she hadn't been reading Harry correctly, but apparently, she seemed to know more than his best friend. Ron felt his heart plummet down to his toes as Harry, after much persuasion and several deep breaths, admitted almost inaudibly, "I'm not ready to go back to Hogwarts."
"You ... you what?" Ron whispered, his gut clenching. He couldn't even picture Harry not being in Gryffindor Tower with him. He couldn't imagine Harry not making fun of Professor Trelawney with him. He couldn't even fathom not hearing Harry's voice as they woke up each morning and got ready for another day. The thought was ... it was ... incomprehensible.
"You saw what happened in the atrium," Harry said, looking devastated at the expressions he saw on his friends' faces. "I ... I'm really, really sorry. I don't want you to think that I don't want to be with you guys."
Ron wanted to pinch himself - surely he must be asleep. Surely this must be a horrible nightmare. "But I thought that Sirius had helped you to get better!" he blurted out. "I was sure that ..."
Harry looked Ron in the eye then. "Ron, Sirius helped me more than you'll ever know. Even you saw that. What you said at Sirius's trial ... I know you could see it's true. But it's not the same, Ron. Sirius helped me get through the nightmares. He helped me to live again after Cedric died and I couldn't save him. He helped me to work through the guilt about Cedric, although he understands that a lot of it will never really go away." He sighed sadly, looking up at the sky. "But that doesn't mean I'm ready for Hogwarts. I don't want to go into a panic whenever I'm stared at. I don't know how to face Cho or Cedric's other friends. And I don't know what to say to the people who thought I murdered him," he said softly.
Ron felt sympathy, frustration, and desperation claw through him. "We're your friends!" he cried out passionately. "Don't you realize we'd help you through all that? You owe nobody anything! You've done nothing wrong!"
"Remember when I said that there was more to life than books and cleverness?" asked Hermione with tears in her eyes. Ron watched in awe as she picked up the book she had been reading and threw it away from herself. It landed several yards away, and she looked at Harry with raw emotion. "I care about books. A lot," she proclaimed, her voice rising. "But I care about my friends a LOT more, Harry. And we want to help you."
Harry's expression softened, knowing exactly what Hermione throwing that book away from herself represented. "Look, this isn't easy for me either," he whispered, looking down to the ground. "But you can't tell me that people are happy about me coming back. I might not be wanted for Cedric's murder anymore, but Voldemort's back and now everyone knows it. I'm a target, and I don't want any more people getting hurt or killed because of me." As he looked back and forth between his friends and saw their stricken expressions, he added sadly, "I'm right, aren't I?"
It was then that Hermione explained what was going on with the school governors. "Apparently, McGonagall's talking to them today," she said. "I'm sure she'll try to argue on your behalf."
"You need to come back to school, mate," Ron said adamantly. "You can't let them win."
But Ron didn't like the look on Harry's face at all. "Honestly, this might all turn out for the best," he said softly.
"What do you mean, for the best?" Fred exclaimed. "You can't just not come back to Hogwarts! What will we do without you? What about the Quidditch team? What about the common room?"
"What about classes?" Ron felt his breaths coming fast. "What about the dorm? What about ..."
"Please." Harry's voice stopped the ranting of his friends. "Don't make this any harder than it has to be. Look, I'll miss you guys too. And I'm not saying I'll never come back. Sirius and I are going to talk to McGonagall tomorrow. He said he was going to owl her."
"Oh." Hermione's voice was quiet now, too. "Mrs. Weasley said this morning that she'd talk to Sirius today about the whole thing. It seems like they're on the same wavelength about talking to McGonagall."
"Yeah, I guess so," Harry agreed. Looking at his friends' still-stricken expressions, he whispered, "I'm sorry I'm letting you down. I know I'm supposed to be stronger than this. But I don't feel ready to go back to school, and if the governors don't want me there anyway ..."
Ron felt a surge of excruciating guilt then, because he knew that Harry was right - Ron had been thinking that way. He thought he'd gotten out of the habit of thinking his friend was invincible. Harry was his best friend and Ron wasn't going to think any less of him just because he was scared. He could be bloody scared if he wanted to be. He had every right, after everything he'd been through.
And Ron had to support him. So what if he dreaded even the thought of going to Hogwarts without Harry by his side? So what if he'd miss him every moment of every day? So what if the thought of the dormitory made him feel incredibly empty?
After all, this wasn't about what Ron wanted. He had spent far too much time being selfish and thinking about his own needs. If this summer had taught him anything at all, it was that there were things far more important than his own little world. He was Harry's best friend, and therefore, he would be there for him even if he hated the decision the other boy was making.
"You haven't let me down, mate," Ron said, his blue eyes meeting Harry's emerald ones. "You're my best friend. I'm going to be here for you, no matter what."
"You need to do what's best for you," Hermione said, her eyes connecting with Ron's before meeting Harry's. "Just let us know what you need, and we'll do it."
"Yeah," Fred croaked, looking stunned and upset by the turn of events.
"We're with you. That's never going to change, mate," George proclaimed adamantly.
Ginny smiled softly, although there was sadness behind it. "Always, Harry," she promised.
And as Harry smiled at them, Ron would be lying if he felt like things were going to be okay. But Harry was his best friend - and for him, he would try to make them so.